Unity
by Saramund
Summary: Sequel to The First Race - SG1 set about uniting a planet that is full of distrust. Finished now - but the end gets a bit heavy - violent. And currently 10 & 11 are un beat'd..
1. All For One, One for All

UNITY  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor the concepts involved in SG-1. I use said characters merely for my own personal entertainment value. No harm is intended.  
  
Rating: PG for some swearing.  
  
Authors Note: This is a sequel to The First Race (Chapters 1-9). I suggest you read that first, otherwise this will make little sense. Oh, and there is a little salute to the Lethal Weapon series in this chapter. See if you can find it….. (  
  
  
  
Unity Chapter 1 All for one, one for all.  
  
I sat at my borrowed desk, thinking. Just over a week ago, I'd been sitting in my own office on Level 21 of the SGC, contemplating how much beer I'd need for the hockey game that I was going to be watching on my large screen TV at home, yelling the Blackhawks to certain victory. Then we'd gone on a 'little' mission to P4M 983. With that one mission, it looked as though we'd changed the history of the world forever. We'd found Dragons on that planet. Big, hulking black and silver DRAGONS. Carter had gone into research mode, while Daniel had become linguist extraordinaire. Of course, just as we'd started getting used to the idea that dragons did actually exist, they 'matured'. Changed. Into the Ancients. It had been a little bit of a shock to see the dragons, but these new forms? They reminded me a bit of centaurs. Those ancient Greek four legged creatures that.….  
  
Oh! Oh, wow! Daniel styled epiphany! No doubt he'd already put two and two together, but it took me a little longer. Four legs, two eyes, plus a third 'spiritual' eye. Centaurs with a bit of artistic license! Now that made a whole lotta sense. Anyway, these Ancients had offered us help in destroying the Goa'uld. But at a price, of course: world peace. Unity, as they called it. So we went home, with Rhun (little silver ex-dragon, now of the flapping ear and four feet variety of alien) in tow. Called a meeting with the President, UN Heads and our alien allies. Had said meeting, lots of arguments, and then they all left.  
  
We'd, being my team and I, been flown to the White House the morning after the 'summit'. Flown in early to prepare for the thousands of questions we'd have to answer during the media conference, along with finding out how much we were going to keep from the general populace. Not a hell of a lot was going to be kept secret, by the look of it. President Bartlett had said that if we were supposed to become 'united', then everyone had to know everything. Fair enough in theory, but practice may be a little different. It was a wait and see game. I was kind of looking forward to it. Maybe I'm a touch sado-masochistic. I am a soldier. I think I'm supposed to love pain.  
  
So I sat at my borrowed desk, somewhere in the bowels of the White House, watching personnel run backwards and forwards past the door. It was entertaining to watch as they flashed past, a blur of black or navy. Or rather, it had been for the first hour. Now, after several hours of nothing to do, I was bored. And I had no idea where Carter, Daniel or Teal'c were. Of course, I could go on a recon mission to find them. Walk around a bit. Stretch my legs. That sort of thing. I stood up determinedly and strode out the door. Head on into a young man who was almost running past, hands full of documents. Which were now spread on the floor. Oops.  
  
"Sorry, kid." I apologised, then made myself scarce. This wing of the White House (wherever it was) was large, and full of people all dressed in suits and looking very impressed with themselves. A little stressed right now, but that was understandable. I peeked into office after office, with still no trace of my team members. About fifteen minutes after I'd left my office, I was completely lost in the bowels of the White House. I'd lost track of natural light a few staircases ago, but hadn't noticed anything for several minutes, being used to underground offices. I turned back to retrace my steps when I found some sort of aide-de-camp looking at me. She had a neat beige business suit on, with legs up to her neck (I wasn't really looking, but hey, I'm a guy, right?) and short blonde hair. Reminded me of Carter. If she wasn't an officer in the USAF, that is.  
  
"Can I help you, General?" The woman asked, moving her stack of papers from one arm to the other.  
  
"I'm looking for my team members." I replied, hoping she knew who they were, or even who I was.  
  
"Oh, yes. They're in the mess hall. I just saw the big guy…Um, what was his name again?"  
  
"Murr, ah, Teal'c." No need for false identities any more.  
  
"That's right. Teal'c. He was just heading there himself. Do you know where it is?"  
  
"Haven't a clue, Ma'am." I replied. Hell, I didn't even know if I was still on government property.  
  
"It's easy. You go back up this flight of stairs, along the corridor to the right. Turn left at the third set of stairs. Go up them, then around the corner to the right, down the next flight on your left. It should be a half flight, about 10 stairs. You'll see a painting of Lincoln. Turn left and go down that corridor for about a hundred meters and then turn right at the end. The mess hall is at the end."  
  
"You're kidding, right? It sounds like a five mile hike!"  
  
"Pretty much, sir. It's how we all stay fit." She flashed a smile and continued on. Now all I had to do was remember her instructions. Up the stairs, that way. Turn this way. Another flight of stairs. Another turn. There's the little stair case. Doing well. Lincoln, and then I smelt coffee. I was in the right area, all I had to do now was follow my nose.  
  
I walked into what they called the Mess Hall. Frankly, I've yet to see a mess hall look quite this neat and tidy. And shiny. It was all wood and granite, with some stainless steel dispensers that looked like they'd just been installed. San Toria's in Colorado Spring's didn't have décor this neat, and that wasn't exactly a cheap restaurant. I found my team, sitting at a table in the far corner of the room, all of them sipping coffee and talking quietly. I headed over to them, after a brief detour via the coffee machine, and sat down next to Daniel.  
  
"We were wondering how long it would take you." Daniel commented with a wry grin.  
  
"Well, it would have been quicker, if I hadn't taken a detour via Los Angeles." I replied, stirring sugar into the steaming liquid.  
  
"I think we went via Missouri, ourselves, sir." Carter grinned at me.  
  
"So, where did you guys end up?"  
  
"In some office down in the bowels somewhere. I got thirsty, so we decided to find some coffee." Daniel told me, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"There is such a thing as water, you know." I told him, suppressing a grin.  
  
"Well, if I'd gotten more than three hours sleep last night, I would have taken the water. However, since I'm suffering from sleep deprivation, water wasn't an option." I grinned at Sam over Daniel's grumbling.  
  
"It was in fact your idea to stay up last night, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c told our archaeologist.  
  
"I distinctly remember him insisting we all stay up with him, and learn Latin." Sam putted her two cents worth in. Teasing Daniel…. Gotta love it.  
  
"Although I do not believe 'Hasta La Vista Baby' means 'welcome to our house' in Latin, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c smiled.  
  
"I seem to recall having an argument about that. Something about 'Hasta' being the house and 'vista' being welcome visitors." I supplied.  
  
"Shut up, guys." Daniel grumbled. We all grinned, then I decided to take pity on the man.  
  
"So. It's now 0943, and we've been here for three hours now. The media frenzy is due to start in just over two hours, at 1200 hours. What are we going to do to fill in the time until then?" I looked in hope at my team members'.  
  
"Play croquet on the lawns?" Sam suggested.  
  
"Play croquet on the lawns of the White House? I don't think Security would go for that, Sam." Daniel replied, frowning.  
  
"I must perform Kelnor'eem." Teal'c announced, standing up and scraping his chair away from the table.  
  
"Where are you going to do that, T?" I'd just explored a good sized area of this place, and I hadn't seen a single quiet room, let alone a dark one full of candles.  
  
"I have appropriated quarters in the President's wing." I saw Daniel's eyebrow's go up above his glasses, and knew that mine had done the same.  
  
"Quarters. In the President's wing." I repeated in amazement.  
  
"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c confirmed.  
  
"Where there would more than likely be more than one flat surface."  
  
"Away from all these people and their…noise." Daniel continued for me.  
  
"And we could all get some sleep?" Sam finished hopefully. Teal'c looked at all of us, an eyebrow raised in malicious disbelief. He wouldn't would he? Deny us some much needed sleep?  
  
"Indeed there are flat surfaces and quiet places for meditation and slumber." Teal'c confirmed. I was beginning to believe he would deny us all sleep. He was that kind of sick, twisted …... "And if you will follow me, we shall ensure that we are rested for the confrontation that is to follow."…..gem of a friend that I would never speak ill of. We all grinned at him, relieved.  
  
"Lead on, Mr T." I gestured for him to precede us, then cracked up laughing. Teal'c glanced back at me, questioningly. "Remind me to show you the A-Team one day, Teal'c." I told him, chuckling still. He went out of the mess, deciding not to answer me. Not that I blame him.  
  
  
  
Ahh, sleep. Love the stuff. Never get enough, which is more than likely why I love it so much. The pillow was lumpy, though, so I shuffled it around in a vain attempt to fall back into that place of dreaming. It had been a very good dream. Though not one that anyone under 18 could watch. I woke up finally, experiencing an intense period of Déjà vu. Luckily, once again I woke face down, and this time no one had woken me. A person would think that that was all I dreamt of. It wasn't. Really. Well, not usually, anyway. And not in the middle of the White House, surrounded by hundred's of people.  
  
I shifted on my 'flat surface', digging an elbow into the couch that I had availed myself of. I heard Daniel snuffle from the other side of the room, and could tell he was in his waking up cycle. He had a routine that he did while still asleep. He would start by rolling over on to his left-hand side. Then, he would snuffle and mutter a bit and finally he would be woken by a large sneeze. His own large sneeze  
  
"Ahh-choo!" And there it was. I turned my head, and saw Carter looking back at me, eyes glinting in Teal'c's candlelight.  
  
"Do you know the scary thing?" Carter whispered into the quiet room.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"I think that we know Daniel's wake up routine better than Shau're did." She meant it lightly, I knew, but there was a touch of sadness to it, despite her intentions. I grunted softly in reply. There wasn't much I could say to that, because it was true. Daniel had spent a year with Shau're, but we had all been a team for over 7 years now. We'd probably spent more time in his presence than his wife had. I dismissed my morbid thoughts as Daniel rolled back onto his back, blinking his eyes and groping for his glasses.  
  
"Morning." I said to him, pushing up on my arms and looking around for Teal'c. The big guy was sitting watching us, his feet on his thighs and hands resting on his knees in Kelnor'eem position.  
  
"What's the time, Teal'c?"  
  
"It is twenty five minutes past the hour of eleven, O'Neill." The big guy replied. I grunted and flopped back down. 35 minutes until the conference. Plenty of time. I shut my eyes, then moaned in discomfort when I felt a hand whack my chest.  
  
"Wh… ow!" I complained, rubbing the offended ribs.  
  
"Get up. Sir." Carter told me, running a small brush through her hair to set it back in place.  
  
"But…" I looked at my watch. 11.45. Shit. I'd fallen back to sleep. I leaped up and looked at the state of my trousers….. The *wrinkles* in them (get your minds out of the gutter, people!). Crease free. Thank God. I didn't have time to re-iron them. I mentally blessed Chen over on Alpine for his cleaning abilities, then pulled on my jacket, stars and all.  
  
The General walked in minutes later, and looked us over quickly. He nodded and then gestured silently for us to follow him. So we did.  
  
  
  
I was standing, shifting from foot to foot, looking around what one of the aides had called the 'green room'. It was some place behind the main briefing room that people waited until they were called. At this point, someone was outside giving the press a brief run down of the history of the Stargate Program, with diagrams and pretty pictures and everything. It was pretty much a slightly abbreviated form of Daniel's address to the UN guys. 'We found this big round stone ring. We switched it on, went through. Made some allies. Blew up some aliens. Came home heroes'. Or something like that.  
  
"Colon- General." Carter got my attention.  
  
"Yes, Colonel?" I replied.  
  
"Will you stop pacing? You're driving me nuts."  
  
"How could you be driven nuts, Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked from beside her.  
  
"It means that's she's being driven insane. Loopy, mad, screwy, whacky, completely potty by her senior officer's desire to wear a path in the carpet beneath his feet. And if he doesn't stop, she's going to knock him out." Carter replied, with a very scary smile in my direction. I stopped pacing and looked at her, stunned.  
  
"Here, here." I heard Daniel mutter from behind me. I looked at him, then back at Carter, and finally sat down with a put upon expression on my face. I looked up at the monitor set in the corner, to see Du Vierte answering some press questions. I couldn't quite hear the question, but his response was fairly easy to make out. He laughed. Loudly.  
  
"God, no." He replied, still chuckling. I was now dying to find out what the question had been. Some White House Official stepped forward and leaned down to speak into the microphone.  
  
"We're going to bring in some Air Force Personnel who will be able to answer some of your questions. Understand, this does not go out until we give the okay."  
  
"Janice!" Several press cried, raising their hands like they were back in school again.  
  
"Sun." The woman pointed to one of the upraised hands.  
  
"How long has the government known about this operation? How long has the President been aware of the existence of …aliens."  
  
"The President, and his chief advisers have been aware since he came into office. Both President Bartlett and the Joint Chiefs have been to the Stargate Command several times, to oversee treaties and meet foreign dignitaries. Please, no more questions. I'd like to introduce the team of SG-1. This comprises Brigadier-General Jonathon O'Neill, Lieutenant- Colonel Samantha Carter, Dr Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. Now I must reiterate, Teal'c is what is known as a Jaffa. He is an alien, so please be aware of that." Janice looked off to the side, and that's when the door to our little 'green room' opened.  
  
"Here we go, kids." I sighed, then stood up and strode toward the door and the press beyond. 


	2. Twenty Questions

Disclaimer: I SO own these guys. Not.  
  
Summary: The title kinda gives that one away. Lots of questions.  
  
Authors Note: Does anyone actually read these?  
  
Rating: G – nothing bad here.  
  
Chapter 2 – 20 Questions  
  
We were all pretty much blinded in the first few minutes after stepping through into the press room. Flash bulbs and camera lights were shone at us, and people were yelling left right and center. It was very loud and confusing. I stood there, Carter and Daniel behind and to either side of me, Teal'c and General Hammond directly behind them. I waited. And waited. The questions were still being fired at us, the camera's were still running, the photographers were still taking photo's. Finally, after about five minutes, I'd had enough. I leant down towards the microphone, and there was an immediate hush.  
  
"Have we all finished?" I asked them, sarcasm ringing through my voice. I stared at the gathered press, doing my best impersonation of Teal'c, when he was still First Prime. It seemed to work.  
  
"Good. Here's how it's going to work. No shouting, no yelling, no interrupting and all mobile phones will remain switched off. That hands thing you had going is good, so we'll keep that going, but no screaming my name out. All questions will be directed at me. If I feel that I cannot answer it, than one of my team will address it. This question session will be held for one hour. After that, all questions will be fielded through the Pentagon. So ask wisely, people. Oh, and anyone who disobeys these rules will be obliged to enter the green room, and remain there until 1700 hours. This means, you won't get the scoop. Am I understood?" I stood back and waited to see the effect of my little speech.  
  
Stunned silence, followed by a few angry mutters. But my threat of scoop denial had a lasting effect.  
  
"Good. Now, first question." Arms were raised, and mouths opened to start yelling, but I saw all of them remember my directives, and almost simultaneously, they were shut again. "You." I pointed at one of them.  
  
"General O'Neill, Susan from Chicago Sun."  
  
"Go the Blackhawks." I replied, earning a smile from the middle aged brunette.  
  
"Indeed. In the briefing, Janice mentioned that we have several alliances with foreign… races. Who are they, and what are the alliances to us?"  
  
"The first we made was with the Abydonians, where the first Stargate expedition went. That was almost 9 years ago now. I believe SG-6, our diplomatic team, has prepared a briefing on all the alliances that we are currently party to, and we will distribute them shortly." Another hand went up, and I pointed to the owner.  
  
"Do these… Abydonians have technologies or advancements that would benefit us?"  
  
"No. They are a typical slave people, held back in their development and technologically inferior to ourselves."  
  
"You say a typical slave people? What exactly do you mean?"  
  
"The Goa'uld is a race of ….." I frowned, and turned to Carter for an explanation. She stepped forward and helped me out, bless her.  
  
"The Goa'uld are a race of symbiotic aliens that lodge in the spine at the base of the neck and take hold of the hosts motor-control. Before they discovered human hosts, they traditionally embedded themselves in other, less…. prolific races. However, once they discovered our existence on this world, the Goa'uld cultivated us. Dispersed us across the galaxy, enslaving us and used us literally as breeding stock for their mature symbiotes. When we talk about slave people, we are talking about human beings that have been relocated and forced not only to worship the Goa'uld as false gods, but more often than not, they are either imprisoned on mining colonies, or used in experiments. Scientific, anthropological and cultural experiments. And there was one group of removed humans that were altered, irreparably. This group of people was selected as the 'womb' for the immature symbiote, and they were manipulated genetically to produce the ideal environment. They are called Jaffa." Carter stood back, having finished her explanation. I pointed at yet another reporter.  
  
"Does the Jaffa speak English? Can he understand us? How long does he live? What kind of food does he eat?" Teal'c, I saw from the corner of my eye, gave the guy a grade 2 death glare. Nothing serious, but enough to get the reporter clearing his throat uncomfortably.  
  
"Teal'c does speak English, and he can understand all that we say here today." Well, almost. Obscure Earth references may fly over his head, but he generally got the gist now. "His race generally lives twice to three times our own life-span. And his eating habits are none of your business."  
  
"But he doesn't eat anything abnormal." Daniel blurted into the microphone after I'd finished.  
  
"These…. Asgard that Janice mentioned. Who are they? What can they do?" One guy said after referring to his notes.  
  
"The Asgard are part of a four fold alliance that protects and allows civilisations to advance, free of influence and manipulation. They also assist in…. keeping the Goa'uld under some sort of control. The Asgard themselves are your typical 'Area 51' Roswell Grey Aliens." I smiled. "It seems there was some basis for all those rumours. Well, the visitations, anyway. We've known them now for 7 years, and they've yet to even mention any kind of ….invasive probe tests to us." There was a brief chuckle at the lame joke, and I felt better. I was beginning to understand how to deal with these guys, and that would only make my job easier.  
  
"So they're good?"  
  
"Very much so. They're highly advanced, supremely intelligent and arrogant to boot." I replied. "They have some awesome weapons in their armory, and some kick-ass spaceships. Our main contact is a guy called Thor. Cute little guy, about this high." I measured to my waist. "A little irritating, a little condescending, but on the whole, a good guy."  
  
"Did he take on the name of Thor because of the Viking God?" I looked at Daniel. His territory.  
  
"Actually." Daniel took center stage, clearing his throat and pushing his glasses up his nose. "The Viking god Thor is the Asgard, taking on human form to reassure the Norsemen. We've found that throughout history, the gods that were associated with various civilisations invariably were either Goa'uld or Asgard. In some instances, as we've come to discover this past week, the Ancients themselves represented not gods, but benevolent higher beings. Like the Centaurs of ancient Greece. Or the Chinese Dragons." Daniel went on to explain his theory about Goa'uld and Asgard impersonations of our ancients gods. It was his favourite subject, and he was eloquent. Finally, the archaeological community would have to accept Danny's decade old theory about Egyptian Alien influences. "Along with a copy of the alliances we are currently involved in, there's a copy of the current gods that we know were aliens, as well as theories behind some suspected alien influences." Daniel finished, and stood back.  
  
"General. Why were you chosen to head the first mission to… Abydos?" I tensed, an image of Charlie flashing across my inner eyes. I felt the others gather round me, felt Carter almost touch my arm, and took comfort.  
  
"Because I'm the best." I replied, and grinned. They all laughed in reply. "In addition to that, someone had to, and I was there. Besides, I didn't have allergies, unlike a certain archaeologist I could mention." I shot a look at Daniel, who studiously ignored me. "Truthfully, I had been on retreat, considering retirement, when General West asked me to head a special team in a highly dangerous, possibly fatal mission. And he couldn't tell me where I was going, who was going with me, how long I'd be gone for or if I'd be coming back at all. What man could resist that kind of offer?"  
  
"Was Dr Jackson or Colonel Carter on that mission?" The same reporter asked.  
  
"Daniel was. Carter was still at the Pentagon, researching other uses for the Stargate, in case our mission failed. Or something like that." I pointed at a leggy brunette who's hair was taller than looked comfortable.  
  
"Why did the government feel the need to keep this program a secret from the general populace." She had her pen ready, and looked a little uncertain when I started chuckling.  
  
"You're kidding, right? This is the Whitehouse, isn't it? You are White House Reporters, yes? And you're asking me about a conspiracy theory?" I was jerked sideways as Carter moved forward, a slight scowl marring her forehead.  
  
"Excuse me General. I believe this is something I can answer." She said between her teeth. Oops, offended her. Ah well, we'll live.  
  
"The Government made a decision approximately 40 years ago, when the Stargate research program was re-opened, to keep any findings secret until all possible threats had been identified and possible benefits had been utilised. This policy was established because they felt, at that time, that any leaked information that was not entirely accurate would lead to panic amongst the general populace. You have to remember that this was 1969, and the fear of a communist regime was at its highest. Once we had the Stargate functioning and the teams in place, secrecy was paramount, as we'd discovered a serious threat to the safety of the entire world. Once again, the President and Joint Chiefs decided that it was prudent to assess the danger thoroughly before notifying the general population."  
  
That's what I said, wasn't it? I stood back before the podium, then checked my watch.  
  
"Two more questions, people, so make them good ones." I pointed at the first woman, Susan.  
  
"What happens now? I mean, where do we go? What's going to happen?"  
  
"Susan. That's three questions." I chided, then smiled. I looked to General Hammond, who stepped forward.  
  
"At this moment, President Bartlett, Sir Andrews and Dr Du Vierte are flying into Geneva on Air Force One. They've organized a briefing for the full UN Council. Understand, we are going to hold you in seclusion until the meeting has finished. Once it is completed, you are free to break the story. We want you to mention the UN meeting. It is critical that you do." Hammond leaned forward, and looked over the crowd of press.  
  
"We are working together on this, people. Sensationalism and over- stating this is something you're all going to have to hold back on. We are working on not only global unification, but Galaxy-wide unification. This is something that we never even realised was an issue before. We all need to work together, no more secrets, no hidden agenda's. Otherwise, the Goa'uld are going to turn up on our doorstep and find us bickering and wipe us clean out before we even know they're here." He paused, taking in a deep breath and filling out his chest. "I'm not exaggerating, people. The Goa'uld are a real threat and they're merciless. They will annihilate us without a second thought. World War II will look like a school yard argument in comparison to what the Goa'uld will do. They have done it before, and without anyone to stand in their way, the will do it again. I mean to stop them, and I will use any and all possible means to do so." Hammond pointed to one last hand that was held up hesitantly.  
  
"Yes, son?" He asked, and I saw it was a young man, his face chalky white.  
  
"What do you want us to do, sir?" He asked quietly.  
  
"Your jobs. We want you to do your jobs. And just that. It's that simple. Report the facts. State the case. That's all. We're not holding back any information. We're not keeping secrets or telling you only what you need to know. Because we all need to know everything." He stood back and I went to walk forward and saw a flash to my left. I looked and saw Daniel disappear in a flash of light.  
  
"My God!" Someone moaned from the press gallery. I leant forward, putting my hands up to calm everyone. It seemed they were all staring at the empty space that had been Daniel. And they all looked as white as ghosts.  
  
"That's nothing to worry about, guys. That is the Asgard travel device. Think of Star Trak and 'Beam Me Up Scotty'." I told them. It didn't get a laugh, but I saw a few of them take a deep breath and nod their heads. Others were making sure that their camera's had actually gotten the footage of Daniel disappearing. I suppose it would make good news.  
  
"There are aliens here? Now?" One of the press asked me.  
  
"The Asgard have been orbiting Earth for the last three days. They have a …. cloaking device that allows them to hide their presence from detection and not just ours. Okay, the handouts on the Alliances et cetera are on the back table, and there are copies of file tape that you all will probably want to have a look at. You guys are going to be stuck in one of the White House rooms for the next two hours, until 1500, then you're free to go." I left the podium to Janice, and heard her briefing the press.  
  
We walked into a spare office and I turned to Carter and Teal'c.  
  
"Any idea's why Thor pulled Daniel from the *middle * of the briefing?" I asked them. Carter shook her head.  
  
"I do not know, O'Neill." Teal'c told me.  
  
"Great. That's gonna scare the living crap out of the public. People disappearing before their eyes. Aliens, a galaxy-wide war. What a way to start the year of."  
  
"O'Neill, I believe that the year, as you measure time, has been going for quite some time."  
  
"Don't nitpick, T." I grumbled.  
  
"Jack." Hammond chided me. He'd just come from talking to some aide on the other side of the room. "Air Force One has just landed, and the President is on his way, along with Sir Andrews and Dr Du Vierte." He paused. "Any idea why Daniel left us, Col-General?" He asked me.  
  
"No sir. I'm hoping he gets sent back real soon, so he can cure our curiosity." I replied.  
  
"Perhaps the Asgard believed a demonstration was required to ensure the belief of the Tau'ri." Teal'c offered.  
  
"It's possible." Hammond conceded. "Right now, I have a meeting. I want some sort of briefing as soon as Dr Jackson returns."  
  
"Yes sir." I replied as he walked out the door. Seconds later an aide came in and guided us through the maze of offices and cubicles to another room for us to wait. The catch-cry of all military departments; Hurry up and wait. So we did.  
  
After a few minutes, of intense waiting, I started looking around the room and found a stash of paper, which just begged my attention. I got a nice neat piece of paper, which I folded in half, length ways. I then opened it back up and folded two diagonals along the crease, forming a nice arrow kind of shape. Folded it back together again and then folded down a flap on either side, and voila, a very crude paper aeroplane. Which I then flew at Teal'c, who had his eyebrows raised, watching my folding with great interest.  
  
"You want to have a go, Teal'c?" I asked the Jaffa, who nodded and grabbed a piece of paper. And then proceeded to fold. And fold. And fold some more. Within seconds, I could see the death-glider forming, but refused to believe my eyes. This guy was a down-right genius at origami. Teal'c finished the death glider silently, picked it up and thrust it gently forward. It flew in a perfect parabola towards Carter, who plucked it out of the air, her own face showing shock. Teal'c then picked up another piece of paper and folded, in all of a minute, a miniature Goa'uld mother ship. Following that came another ship. It was small, with two vertical panels on either side of a small spherical shape that had horizontal panels extending to join the vertical panels to the sphere. It looked vaguely familiar.  
  
"Is that some other type of Gao'uld ship, Teal'c?" I asked, pointing at the ship.  
  
"It's a tie fighter, O'Neill." He replied.  
  
"Oh. Who owns them?"  
  
"The Empire."  
  
"Empire of what?" Teal'c shot me an incredulous look. I seriously had no idea who he was talking about. The Tollans? Those Navati people we'd met 18 months ago? Some other obscure race we hadn't met yet?  
  
"Jack. That's a tie fighter from the Star Wars Trilogy." Carter said in between chuckles of mirth. I felt a flush of embarrassment, but that was quickly suppressed by the flush of …..something else. She'd called me Jack. Voluntarily. I shot her a look, my breath catching. She just smiled and sent the death-glider floating back towards me.  
  
"How did you learn to do that, Teal'c?" She asked as I caught the paper glider.  
  
"It is a skill that we learn as boys, Colonel Carter. To assist with our ability to visualise and re-create events, we are trained to create form from a variety of different products. Paper was one of my favourite forms of re-creating forms."  
  
"Impressive." I muttered, feeling a trifle out-done.  
  
"It is a small skill. One learnt at a very early age." Teal'c dismissed the praise, making me feel even smaller. And then Daniel appeared in the centre of the room and I was saved from disappearing altogether. Thank God.  
  
"Guys."  
  
"Where'd you end up, Danny-boy?" I asked, standing up.  
  
"On Thor's ship, obviously, Jack." He replied a little tartly. "We have a bit of a problem." He started, then the world went white. When colour came back into our vision, we were standing on the main deck of Thor's ship, looking down on Earth. And that Earth was getting smaller by the milli-second.  
  
"Dan-iel?" I grated from between my teeth. "What's going on? Why are we leaving earth?"  
  
"That's what I was trying to say before Thor intervened. The Asgard are in trouble. They need our help. Or rather, more of our stupid idea's."  
  
"And you didn't think it wise to ask us before kidnapping us?" I asked him.  
  
"They kidnapped me too, Jack." Daniel reminded them. "And it's not kidnapping. Thor assured me that he would inform Hammond as we left, so that they would know where we were."  
  
"Well, that makes all the difference." I replied sarcastically.  
  
"What's the problem, Daniel?" Carter asked, cutting off my impending rant.  
  
"Thor wouldn't say. He wants us to see it for ourselves, first."  
  
"See what? Where?" I demanded.  
  
"Well. Thor said you wouldn't like this, and I agree."  
  
"Daniel." I grated out. "Where are we going?"  
  
"They call it the…. Holaug Medih. It means …"  
  
"Don't want to know. Where is it?"  
  
"We don't know. You cannot see that region of space from Earth."  
  
"Daniel, we can see millions of lightyears in every direc.………" I drifted off, and I'm sure my face lost all colour.  
  
"Exactly." Daniel replied. "We're going beyond the known Universe." 


	3. Close Council

Unity Chapter 3 – Close Council  
  
Disclaimer: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that appear on the series. I just take them out every now and then to play with them….  
  
Authors note: If you're interested in vikings and their gods, check these sites out. It's pretty much where I got my information from; http://www.viking-z.org/vikg.htm. http://www.feri.com/dawn/religion.html  
  
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~trimpine/relig.html. http://www.geocities.com/lokis01/index2.html  
  
  
  
Three days later, and I don't think any of us had truly understood the concept of just how far away we were going. We'd talked to Thor – and what a success that had been. Mr Aloof had told us pretty much nothing. Then Carter and I had gone exploring and found some kind of display. Speed, current trajectory. That sort of thing. She'd waxed lyrical on how fast we were going, how impossible it was supposed to be, and how long it would take us to get where we were going. I didn't pay all that much attention but to sum up, tomorrow we were going to arrive on the original Asgard home world.  
  
"What, the one I went to a couple of years ago, when I downloaded the Ancient's knowledge?" I'd asked her when she'd figured out what the display actually said.  
  
"No sir. Remember, that was still within the Stargate System. This is further than that. We actually passed that region of space about two hours ago."  
  
"Carter. That was over three million light years away from earth." I'd reminded her.  
  
"I know, sir." She'd replied solemnly.  
  
So we sat. We paced. We cleaned our lovely shiny medals. Worse fact of all this? I was still in my dress uniform. Forced to stay in the thing until we returned. Yes, Carter and I had taken our jackets off and untied the top couple of buttons, but it's still not a comfortable uniform. You have to trust me on this.  
  
  
  
I heard Daniel and Carter talking quietly on the other side of the room we'd appropriated as our own. I couldn't quite hear what they were talking about, but it sounded serious. I got up and walked over to them.  
  
"What's up, kids?" I asked, sitting up against the wall beside Danny.  
  
"We were just talking about the physics of travel at this speed, sir."  
  
"What do you mean, Carter?"  
  
"Well, sir. We're traveling at an amazing speed right now."  
  
"Ludicrous speed even." Daniel put in helpfully, with a bizarre grin on his face.  
  
"What are you guys talking about?"  
  
"We never proved it possible sir, but it doesn't mean it can't be done. Is being done. This ship is traveling so fast, we can't even see the stars as we pass them."  
  
"So?" I was confused.  
  
"We're almost seeing plaid." Daniel added gleefully.  
  
"Will you stop with the Spaceball references?" Carter growled and then turned to me. "Well, it's been theorized that traveling at this kind of speed is a way to create a time-hole-" Carter started.  
  
"A time hole? As in, time travel?"  
  
"Yes sir." Carter confirmed. "We won't be able to confirm it until we get back to earth, sir, but I think one of two things may happen when we return."  
  
"And what are those, Colonel?" I raised an eyebrow, my arms crossed across my chest.  
  
"Well, sir. We could either return almost immediately after we left Earth, or we could return years, decades later. I'm not sure."  
  
"Decades later." I repeated. "You're kidding me, right?"  
  
"No sir. I just don't know enough about this type of travel to be able to predict the amount of distortion in the time-continuum for us."  
  
"It could explain how the Asgard are so long lived. They do a lot of traveling." Daniel put in.  
  
"Well, lets hope that isn't the case, huh? We got a war to fight when we get home."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
So we paced, and sat some more. Teal'c meditated and Carter continued to speculate on time-travel. Daniel and I played flick-ball. The game we'd invented about three years ago, when Jacob and Carter were fixing the hyperdrive on the Mothership we'd apprehended. Ten hours of literally nothing to do. So we got a piece of paper, scrunched it up and played flick-ball. Juvenile, simple, but it was something to pass the time.  
  
Thor came in at one point, which surprised the heck out of me. We hadn't seen him since the first hour of our little trip. I stood up, relieved that he was saving me from being soundly beaten in flick-ball by a measly archaeologist.  
  
"I apologise for my absence, but this ship requires constant vigilance, when traveling at such a speed."  
  
"No problem. So, what are we going to be doing when we get where we're going?" I asked, not really believing I'd get an answer.  
  
"Once again, O'Neill, it would be unwise of me to give you any false impressions. Sif and I believe that you will be better equipped without any prior knowledge."  
  
"Dammit, I just want to know if we're heading into danger!" I'd cried.  
  
"I cannot say. It is possible that your lives may be at risk. However, it is my hope that this will not be the case. Please excuse me, I must return to the Durich, to oversee the final approach." Thor had then bowed and walked out.  
  
So now we were waiting. According to Carter, we were about two hours away from our destination, but the ship hadn't slowed down as yet.  
  
"They must have some serious brakes on this baby."  
  
"Yes sir." Carter agreed with me. I had the feeling she was just humoring me. I didn't dare ask her to confirm it.  
  
"I suppose we'd better put our jackets back on." I glanced at mine, laid over a flat surface on the other side of the room, scowling.  
  
"It's not their fault, Jack." Daniel said in response to my look.  
  
"Yes. It is." I replied. Okay, so it was sulky, but I was in that kind of mood.  
  
"No, it isn't. The Asgard don't have clothing. It isn't part of their culture. So why would Thor know that what you're wearing isn't appropriate for a mission? As far as we know, they can't differentiate between one kind of dress and another. Just be grateful they didn't pack for us. We could have ended up with all of Sam's clothes."  
  
"There's something wrong with my clothes, Daniel?" Sam asked with a dangerous lilt to her voice from her seat with Teal'c.  
  
"No!" Daniel spluttered. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that they're not right. For us. Cause we're guys. You know. Men. And different."  
  
"Stop while you're behind, Danny-boy." I advised, concealing a grin. Daniel grunted, his lips tightly shut. There was a brief feeling of pressure in the ship, as though we were in a lift, and had reached our floor.  
  
"We've slowed down." Carter tipped her head to the side, feeling the motion.  
  
"Ya think?" I replied, then went to get our jackets. Four days cooped up on this ship, big as it was, had given me a dose of cabin fever. Not a big one, but bad enough. I was just doing up the last button of my jacket when Thor turned up.  
  
"We have arrived, O'Neill. Please, gather closely together, and we will transport you down to the planet's largest city, Valhalla."  
  
"Valhalla?" Daniel repeated excitedly as we gathered together. "That's the-." Thankfully, the transportation beam cut him off in mid sentence.  
  
The city was big. Very big. We'd been beamed down to some sort of platform, high up in the city. We all stared like tourists as vehicles dashed by, almost silently. The buildings were all earthy tones. Rich reds, deep browns, bright rust oranges dominated the colour scheme. The buildings seemed to be metallic in material. They were also apparently windowless structures that were very tall. We were high up on this platform, I guessed over six hundred meters, and buildings still towered above us. We could see the sky, a brilliant purple, above us.  
  
"Wow." We all said, in chorus. I finally took notice of a group of Asgard standing to one side, staring at us. There were about twenty of them, and they all had that silent look going for them. It seemed to be a race thing. They were all good at it.  
  
"Thor? Buddy? What now?" I asked quietly to the Asgard standing beside me.  
  
"Please, SG-1, follow me." Thor lead the way into the building the platform lead into. We followed, still doing the gaped mouth tourist impression. The hallway we entered was very wide, very open. Again, there were several Asgard staring at us as we passed. I had the urge to wave at them, but suppressed it. Carter nudged me at one point, and nodded her head. I looked over and almost tripped. There was a great chamber to one side, and inside that chamber, I caught a glimpse of some ships. Nothing surprising, right? Wrong. The majority of the ships that I saw, in that fleeting glimpse, were sail ships. Tall ships. Ships that were built for the oceans of Earth. I literally stopped walking when I stepped around the corner and I'm sure my mouth fell to the floor in shock. Aeroplanes. Lots of aeroplanes. I identified, as I stood there stunned, several DC-3's, a couple of B-52 Bombers, a few sea-planes, even a couple of Cessna's. And to top it all off, I saw an F1-11.  
  
"Carter." I whispered, stunned.  
  
"I see it, sir. That's the F1-11 from USS Tuscon." Carter said in as quiet a voice. "The F1-11 that went missing over the Bermuda Triangle 18 months ago, with Lieutenants' Greg Dawson and Mary Keen in it."  
  
"What's it doing here?" Daniel asked, hearing our muted conversation.  
  
"I don't know. But I intend to ask." I turned to talk to Thor, who was watching us with wide, solemn eyes. I counted to ten and held back my questions, then to twenty, feeling this was part of the 'thing' we were here to help with prompting me to stay quite. For now. We continued to follow Thor, and all of a sudden the wonders of Asgard technology held absolutely no thrall for me. What the hell were our ships and planes doing in a chamber millions of light years from earth? We entered another chamber soon afterwards, and Thor asked us to sit. So we did.  
  
The chamber looked like the place I'd been 'hologramed' to after talking with Freyr. There where two Asgard sitting in the middle of the chamber and Thor walked to the chair to the left of them and sat.  
  
"Honoured Tau'ri. Be welcome." One of them said. "I am Odin, ruler of Valhalla. This is my wife, Frigg, and Thor, whom you already are acquainted with." The small grey guy indicated the female sitting beside him, then Thor. We all muttered platitudes, but my mind was still on the planes and ships in the other chambers.  
  
"I asked my son to retrieve you from Midgard."  
  
"Son? Thor, buddy. You didn't tell me you had family!" I grinned, momentarily distracted. Thor's daddy! This could be fun!  
  
"You did not ask, O'Neill." Thor replied blandly.  
  
"True. So, Odin. Just why did you bring us here? And what's with all those ships and planes out there? You got a collection going or something?" I asked with hostility. I saw him hesitate, then lean in to talk with his son quietly.  
  
"General." Carter chided me. I looked at her, then shrugged.  
  
"Sorry Carter. I can't seem to help myself."  
  
"Why don't you let me handle this, Jack?" Daniel suggested, and leaned forward. I don't think he was going to take no for an answer. "We are honored to meet you, High Asgard Odin. My name is Doctor Daniel Jackson, this is Brigadeer-General Jack O'Neill, Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter and Teal'c. Thank you for allowing us to journey over the Bifrost to your homeworld."  
  
"Bifrost? You know of this?" Frigg grated out in her low voice.  
  
"Yes, Frigg. I am an historian, and as such, know much about the Asgard mythology of earth."  
  
"That is good." Odin announced. The Asgard leader paused for a moment, and I could see him thinking. "You will explain it to these others, while we assemble the Panthion." Odin turned away after this announcement, his attention on his wife and son.  
  
"The Panthion? Really?" Daniel turned to us, a beam on his face. "Okay, now would probably be a good time for a quick lesson on Asgard mythology." I almost groaned.  
  
"Asgard? You mean Viking?" Carter clarified.  
  
"Yes. The Viking gods were known as the Asgard. There were originally twelve gods, known as the Panthion. Odin was the leader of the gods, the most wise, the most powerful. Thor was his son. There are a lot of gods, but a quick run down goes like this: Frigg, Odin's wife, is the goddess of love, both eros and fraternal. Odin was associated with learning, wisdom, poetry and magic. There was also Hel, who was the goddess of a cheerless underground world where all the ordinary population was received after death. All the brave warriors etcetera were taken to Valhalla to dine for eternity with Odin. There was also Loki, a giant god who was basically the representation of evil. He had a lot of knowledge and cunning. It's thought that he was responsible for the death of Balder, who was the god of light and happiness, Loki's opposite. There were a lot of other gods, Freyr, Freya, Fenrir, Thrud. All Gods and Goddesses of various things, like the earth, sky etcetera. But the three main gods we need to worry about are Thor, Odin and Loki. They were the strongest, the most influential."  
  
"Or at least, they were on Earth." I pointed out.  
  
"True. Lets hope that's reflected up here."  
  
"I believe it is reflected within Asgard society, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c told us, turning to face us after watching the three Asgard for a time.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes. Many Goa'uld describe the structure of the Asgard society in great detail, so that all Jaffa are aware of the dangers involved in engaging the Asgard in battle. They are held in great fear because of the number of High Lords. The Pantheon, as mentioned before. In one story that I heard many years ago, the Asgard Hel descended upon a group of Jaffa and several lesser Goa'uld who were torturing and pillaging a city. It is said that the residents of that city heard the tortured screams and wails of those captured for several weeks. It is rumoured that the Asgard Hel delighted in the pain of the symbiote."  
  
"That could just be conjecture, Teal'c." Daniel objected.  
  
"It could indeed, Daniel Jackson. However, there is always a burning substance where there is smoke." I opened my mouth to correct the saying, then gave it away. He was close.  
  
"Well, I think we're about to find out what the burning substance is." Carter said softly, getting our attention. A few more Asgard had joined Thor and his family, and I rapidly counted. 12 Asgard all in a row. Deep breath and here we go.  
  
"Greetings. I am Doctor Daniel Jackson, of Earth. This is Brigadier- General Jack O'Neill, Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter and Teal'c. We ….." Daniel faded out, a frown drawing his eyebrows together behind his glasses.  
  
"I am Freya, Jackson." One of them said, stepping forward. "I welcome you to Valhalla in the name of my cousin, Odin. I am pleased to finally meet the infamous Tau'ri."  
  
"Infamous?" I whispered to Carter, who 'shushed' me and elbowed me lightly in the arm.  
  
"I am honoured, Asgard Freya. You must be Freyr, sir Asgard." Daniel said to the grey guy next to Freya. He nodded his head, touching a hand to his forehead in acknowledgement. It was the first time I'd seen any Asgard make a formal salute. Interesting.  
  
"I am Fenrir, and this is Hel." Another Asgard stepped forward. Daniel again did his diplomacy thing, but got cut off mid way through.  
  
"Enough. We are not here to placate these Tau'ri, but to find out why they believe we should assist them in a fight that is not to our benefit." The smallest Asgard stepped forward, shoving Fenrir back into the other Pantheon members.  
  
"Please, honoured sir. I do not understand." Daniel was handling things, so I stood back to watch.  
  
"You Tau'ri demand that we assist you in your fight against the Goa'uld. You ask that we assist you when you have made childish blunders. You ask that we risk our own species in a fight we can ill afford to make! What have you to offer in exchange for this demand?"  
  
"We would offer you peace.." Daniel began, but the little guy cut him off again.  
  
"Peace?! You are actually claiming that the defeat of the Goa'uld will bring us peace?" The Asgard laughed, but I didn't think he was amused.  
  
"Loki." Odin said from his chair. Loki turned to look at him, shaking his head angrily. At least I think it was angrily, the Asgard were a very hard race to read.  
  
"I'll not be quiet, Odin. These Tau'ri have wreaked havoc across their galaxy, without consideration or thought to those it may effect. They come here, demanding our assistance and expect us to jump at their command."  
  
"Now look here.." I began, but the guy cut me off again. For all his speech was slow, it was empassioned.  
  
"I will not commit my people, my family, to a cause that benefits us nothing. The welfare of my family is paramount, and the defeat of the Goa'uld is not our concern."  
  
"You're chicken." I blurted in sudden realisation.  
  
"I am Loki, of the Asgard. I do not believe that I know this…chicken." The guy replied in a puzzled tone. I explained, as though I was talking to another Teal'c.  
  
"You're afraid to commit to something you don't know you're going to survive."  
  
"You are incorrect, Tau'ri."  
  
"My name is Jack O'Neill." I told him, but he ignored me and continued to speak.  
  
"I am concerned that my family, my children will be injured, and will die fighting a war that is not ours. We have other concerns that require our attention, and your little altercation with the Goa'uld need not concern us."  
  
"You are incorrect, High Asgard Loki." Teal'c said, stepping forward. "The Goa'uld are a parasite that will, given opportunity, decimate your people. They are not only the enemy of the Tau'ri and my people. They are the enemy of all sentient and compassionate beings throughout our galaxy. The Goa'uld are not an enemy to be underestimated."  
  
"But they are YOUR enemy, Jaffa."  
  
"And yours, High Asgard. In the instant that you recognised their power over our galaxy and formed an alliance with them, they became your enemy. It has always been emphasized to the Jaffa that even the Asgard are cautious of the might of the Goa'uld."  
  
"That is not-" Loki started, but Thor spoke up.  
  
"Friend Loki. What the Jaffa says holds truth." Thor admitted. "In our haste to hold the Goa'uld back, to ensure our safety, we have admitted their possible dominance of the systems they hold." Thor turned to us, and nodded his head.  
  
"Tau'ri." Odin got our attention. "We must have Closed Council on this matter. Please, we must ask your patience."  
  
"Ahhh…. High Asgard Odin…. Where are we to go?" I asked, looking around at the huge room.  
  
"I will transport you to my home, in Thrutheim. Please, be comfortable there." Thor offered, and we were surrounded by white light, the council chambers disappearing from view.  
  
"Sweet." I said, looking around at the huge structure we'd been beamed to. "Daniel, where are we?"  
  
"I think we in Bilskinir, Thor's domain. This is like his house, his…. Palatial grounds. Thrutheim was traditionally known as the place where Thor-."  
  
"Thank you, Danny." I shut him up. "So. Now we know just why Thor brought us here."  
  
"We do?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows dancing.  
  
"Yes, Daniel, we do. He's having problems convincing the council, Pantheon, whatever you want to call that club back there, that the Goa'uld need destroying."  
  
"Ah." Daniel's eyebrow quirked.  
  
"I don't think it's the entire Pantheon that needs convincing, sir." Carter supplied.  
  
"I believe it is Loki that is the primary detractor."  
  
"I still want to know what the hell all those ships and planes were doing in their main hall thing." I said, finding a seat on a nearby piece of marble-like stone.  
  
"It would explain a lot, Jack." Daniel said, undoing his tie and taking it off.  
  
"I do not understand, O'Neill."  
  
"It's… Those ships we saw in the Asgard hall were earth ships. Earth Planes. Craft that have gone missing over the years."  
  
"Gone missing." Teal'c repeated.  
  
"There's an area in the tropics called the Bemuda Triangle, near Florida. Over the past several hundred years, hundreds of ships, then planes, have gone missing in that area. The Triangle itself is over 100 nauticle miles in area, but no one has ever found any of the vessels that went missing there." Carter started to explain. "Those ships that were in the front hall were some of the ships that have gone missing. There were several B-52 bombers, that had gone missing during the second world war, and an F1-11 that went missing 18 months ago. Somehow, those planes, that went MIA just off of Florida, in the US, landed up in the hall of the Asgard home-world."  
  
"I tell you, if they've been kidnapping our people and doing experiments on them, and haven't told us, I'm not going to be happy." Not going to be happy? I think that had to be my understatement of the year. I knew the only thing holding me back from ripping little grey heads from thin grey necks was that I trusted Thor. At least, I'd thought I had reason to.  
  
"So what are we going to do now? Just sit here and wait?" Daniel asked, his eyes rapidly scanning the surrounding area. I sighed, then stood back up again.  
  
"No, Danny. Thor said we were to be comfortable. I don't believe I can be comfortable until I know what this place is. I think we should go and explore." Daniel shot me a grin as my reward. It never takes much to make the archaeologist happy. Just a simple 'let's go exploring' and he was happy as a pig in mud…. Are pigs happy in mud?  
  
"Carter, are pigs happy in mud? Or do you think they'd prefer a nice big swimming pool?" She shot me her 'where the hell did that come from' look, then thought about the question.  
  
"I have no idea, sir." She admitted.  
  
"Well, when we get home, look it up, will you?" I ordered her, then walked away, an evil grin on my face. I heard her mutter something, and looked back, one brow raised in query.  
  
"What was that, Colonel?"  
  
"Yes, sir." She replied "When we get back to Earth, I'll look up pigs in mud. Would you like me to look up pigs with wings as well?"  
  
"Why would I want you to do that? That would be pointless research." I turned and followed Daniel, before I broke composure and started laughing. Carter and Teal'c followed a few steps behind, and I started chuckling as I heard her explaining flying pigs to the big Jaffa. 


	4. Glynda

Disclaimer:  As much as I would love to say "I own Stargate SG-1 and all it's subsidiary's", I would be lying.  So I won't say it.  

Rating:  PG – A little bit of swearing.

Spoilers:  Torment of Tantalus, Thor's Chariot, 

Authors Note: If anyone is still reading at this point, give me some feedback - I'm starving, here......

Unity Chapter 4 - Glynda

Daniel was walking around, mouth agape, speaking softly every now and then to himself.  I could see him going for his note-cassette time and time again, to find it missing.  I imagined it was like a lost limb to the archaeologist.  I have to admit I was missing the P90 big time right about now.  I DO NOT like to explore new worlds unarmed.  It's unnatural.  Carter and Teal'c were spread out around us, checking out side-corridors and our six.  In fact, we were pretty much in our normal routine of new world exploration.  Except we were in dress uniform, suits for Teal'c and Daniel, and we had no weapons, no survival gear, and no way home unless Thor was willing to lend us his ship and teach us how to fly it.  So not like a normal mission after all, actually.

            "Sir, Daniel.  I think you might want to see this."  Carter called from a side corridor.  I followed Danny and leant over to have a look.        

            "Oh, wow."  Danny breathed, hands skimming over the display reverently.  I grunted.

            "Pretty."

            "Jack, this is more than pretty. It's a smaller version of the book Dr Littlefield studied." Daniel chided me absently.

            "What book?"

            "The one we found when we went looking for Dr Earnest Littlefield, Catherine's fiance.  Remember?"  Carter jogged my memory.

            "Ah.  Right."  I remember.  Kind of.  Actually, all I really remember of that mission, aside from almost being killed by falling debris, was Carters' voice, as she dodged the naked doctor who was heading towards her for a hug.  It could always make me grin.  I watched as Daniel turned the pages with the page turning stone, raptly muttering to himself.

            "Daniel?"  I poked him in the shoulder, and he looked up, eyes a little unfocused.  "We're going to keep exploring.  You wanna stay here for a while?"  Like that was a question.  Let me see, his response to that would be one of three.  'Are you kidding?';  'You have to ask?'  Or my favourite, the blank stare.  After a few seconds, I realized I was getting the last.  Blank stare in my direction.

            "You stay here and read your book, Danny-boy.    We'll stay within yelling distance."  He nodded absently, head back in the yellow block things that were being displayed.  

            "This way."  I decided, continuing to head down the corridor.  Carter and Teal'c followed me.  It was only about another thirty meters, when the corridor opened up into another large room.  This one looked different, though.

            "This isn't the same kind of chamber as the last one, sir."  Carter stated the obvious.

            "Ya think?"  I replied, looking around at the mass of colours.  There were what looked like cushions and lounges placed all over the room, at different angles.  With that, there were a few small, white tables strategically placed here and there.

            "It looks like a post-modernistic lounging room on a large scale, O'Neill."  Teal'c said from my left.

            "Yes, it does, doesn't it?  Shall we?"  We all went on a minute exploration of the room, testing the softness of the lounges, which were very soft, and the views out of the window-like material in the walls.  This was a hell of a place to 'get comfortable'.

            "Teal'c, go and let Daniel know where we are, and that we'll be staying right here for a while."  Teal'c nodded and left the room, turning back towards Daniel and his book.

            "Sir, look."  Carter got my attention, pointing at one of the white tables.  I walked over and had a look, but what she was pointing at didn't make much sense to me.

            "Sir, I think it's a sustenance area."

            "A commissary?"

            "Yes, sir.  Look, I think these patterns here are requests for food."  She touched one softly, and there was a chime, followed by a small white light.  A small yellow tablet appeared on the table in front of us.

            "Food, huh?"  I said dryly.

            "Well, that is what the Asgard eat, sir.  Thor likes these the best."  She scanned the rest of the table, then went to another one, looking closely.

            "Carter?  I really don't feel like eating yellow tablets."  I mentioned to her, and got a small smile in reward.

            "I know sir.  Neither do I.  That's why... Here."  She pressed another table, and I groaned in delight.

            "Oh."  Carter sat back in astonishment.  "Sir, I think I found our table."  She stared at the roasted meat in surprise, then touched another part of the table, then another.  Soon, we had a veritable feast before our eyes.  Roast meat, vegetables galore, fruits from all corners of the globe, juice and.... Yes, that's beer sitting in that carafe.

            "I'll go get Danny and Teal'c."  I announced, then jogged back to the enraptured Doctor.

            "Danny, Teal'c.  We have food.  Let's eat."

            "But Jack!"  Daniel objected, but I shook my head.

            "No, Daniel.  You can come back and read later.  Food first."  He grumbled, did his little objection dance, but followed.

The chicken had been de-fleshed. The fresh fruit and vegetables gorged upon.  The juice drunken, and the beer half gone.  I was now officially full.  And impressed.  The Asgard knew how to cook.

            "That.... Yum."  Carter sighed, sitting back.

            "I concur, Lieutenant Colonel Carter."  Teal'c agreed.

            "Teal'c, just call her Carter, would you?"  I pleaded with him.  He looked back at me, expressionless, then bowed his head.  I didn't believe for a minute that he would obey my order, but I had to try.

            "You finished, Danny?"  I asked him.

            "Almost."  He replied, scooping out the last of the seeds of the purple thing he was eating.

            "I can't believe you eat the seeds of that thing."  Who willingly ate seeds?

            "Jack, it's passionfruit.  You're supposed to eat the seeds."  Daniel said patiently.

            "It's wrong, Daniel.  Seeds are supposed to stay outside the body."

            "Yes, Jack."  He placated me.  Damn placating.  How's a body supposed to have a spirited argument when people placate?

            "What did you find in the book, Daniel?"  Sam changed the subject.

            "Well, it's harder to read when it's condensed like that.  They make assumptions that I just don't understand, and it makes translating it harder.  Of course, without any text books or writing equipment, it's pretty much impossible.  But I can try to remember the sequence of the pages, and perhaps the syntax of the atoms, then I may have some hope of translating the text when we get home."

            "Did you get all the pages with your camcorder when you were with Earnest?"  

            "I thought I did, Sam.  But I've found at least three that I missed.  I know those pages pretty well by now.  What they look like, anyway.  And I've found three so far that I just don't recognize.  It could be that they were added later, or that I just skipped past them.  I wish I knew.  It could add critical information to the translation."

            "Ask Thor."  I offered.

            "Do you really think that he would tell us the translation of the book?  Us?"  Daniel's eyebrow's raised past his glasses.

            "Well... No.  He still thinks we're too young.  But you never know unless you try, right?"

            "Yes, Jack.  Do you mind?"  He rose, and I nodded.  Like a little boy at Christmas, he jogged out of the room to go and play with his new toy.  There are days when Danny reminds me a hell of a lot of Charlie.

            "So, what are we to do, while we wait for our host?"  I sat back on my cushion, holding my head up with my hands.

            "More exploring, sir?"

            "As tempting as that sounds, Carter, I don't think so.  We have no radio's, no supplies, no weapons.  And there is no way we'll be able to drag Daniel away from that book any time soon.  I have a feeling we're gonna be stuck here for a while."

            "In a normal situation such as this, I would perform Kel'noreem.  However, I believe that I can not perform that function for at least another 75 hours."

            "All Kel'noo'd out, huh, Teal'c?"  I smirked.  He bowed his head, then stood up.

            "I believe I will see if Dr Jackson requires my assistance.  I will stay with him to ensure his safety." With that pointed statement, the big Jaffa left.  I was suddenly conscious that Carter and I were alone.  A snatch of conversation we'd all had on the way here suddenly replayed itself in my mind.

            'So, how long could this journey be taking, Earth wise?'  I'd asked her

            'Sir, there's just no way of knowing.  Not unless we get a point of reference from the stars, so I can calibrate the shift in their position.  But even then, we could be so far away the shift could be un-noticable.  The only way we'll know is when we get back, and find out how much time has passed.'

            'That's not good enough, Carter.'

            'I'm sorry, Sir.  But that's the way it is.'

The memory gave me an idea.

            "Carter, can I ask you a question?"

            "No sir, you can't get Fox Sports out here."  She replied, tongue in cheek.

            "Ha, ha.  I was just thinking about the time's we've talked to the Asgard through their talking thing."

            "The image projection device, you mean?"

            "Yes."  At least, I guessed it was.  "If, and I mean IF we managed to stumble across one around here somewhere, could you jury-rig it so that we could talk to earth?"  I looked at Carter, who was thinking…. Thoughtfully.

            "Sir, much as I'd like to say yes, I can't.  The devices aren't like a telephone or the Stargate.  They're a fixed point of reference, directional.  And it works backwards.  The protected call the Asgard, not the other way round."  Damn.  It was a good idea, even if it didn't work, right?  I stood up and went over the glass stuff and looked out over the valley in front of me.  It was big, sweeping and orange.  The plants, the grass.  All orange.  One of the more colourful worlds we'd visited, for sure.

            "But."  I heard Carter say out loud.

            "But what, Colonel?"  I asked in response, turning my back on the orange trees.

            "Well, what if I could reverse the call procedure.  Sure, we'd still only be able to talk to the protected planet, but I think SG18 is still working with the Cimmerians.  At least, they were when we left, a few days ago."

            "So?"  I walked forward, intent and silent as she thought it through.

            "So, I may be able to talk to Major Walker, sir.  But first, we need to find a control panel."  I thumped her shoulder in silent delight, and trotted out to get Teal'c.

            "You stay here, okay, Daniel?"  I repeated for the third time.

            "I'm not moving, Jack.  I promise."  He assured me patiently.  I may be obsessed, but Daniel had gotten hurt too often for me to take anything easy when it came to his safety.  Hammond would personally flay me if I let the man get hurt again.  I know, because he promised me he would.

            "We'll try not to wander too far from you, but you may need to-"

            "Jack!"  Daniel cut me off with a snap.  "Go, find the control panel.  I'll be fine."

            "Right.  Stay here."  I instructed him, then followed Carter and Teal'c down the main corridor.

            "What is the object we are looking for likely to look like, Carter?"  Teal'c asked.  Amazement had both Carter and I frozen in our tracks.  Teal'c had called Carter 'Carter'.  Not Captain Carter.  Not Major Carter or even Colonel Carter.  Just …Carter.

            "Ah….  Very much like the control panel that Jack used a few years ago, when we first met the Replicators on Thor's ship.  It could be hidden, or it could be displayed in a large chamber, like the control deck of the Asgard ships." She told Teal'c, walking around another corner and into a large chamber.  Did she just call me Jack?  I was distracted briefly, then saw something from the corner of my eye.

            "Or it could be this, right here."  I smirked.

            "Yes.  It could be this right here, Sir.  More than likely it is this."  We all walked forward and Teal'c and I watched as Carter began playing with the Asgard stone-thing that controlled all their information panels.

            "Well, Carter?"

            "In a second, sir.  Just… let me…. There."  A beam lit up in the centre of the room, highlighting a lighter circle that was painted onto the floor.

            "Right.  I'll just go look, shall I?"  I asked, then stepped into the light.  After a second of spotlight blindness, I saw the chamber in Cimerria that Thor had set up as a congregational meeting place.  There was no one in the chamber, but the sun was shining into through the large, stained glass windows.  I heard a noise and turned.

            "Ah!  Good.  It's General Jack O'Neill here.  Can you please go and get Major Walker of SG18 and bring her here as quickly as possible?"  The native Cimmerian blanched slightly when I started talking, but nodded and scampered out of the chamber.  

            "Walker wasn't there, but someone's gone to get her."  I told the other two.

            "We heard, sir.  We can't see what you're seeing, but we can hear everything."  Well that made everything a hell of a lot easier.

            "Good."  I replied, then started studying the changes the Cimmerian's had made to Thor's Chamber.  A few benches around the outside of the chamber, and some pretty paint decorated the floor.  Other than that, it was fairly bare.  Several minutes later, Walker came running into the chamber, followed by the rest of her team.

            "General!"  She burst out, stunned.  She skidded to a halt, eyes gone wide.

            "Hi, Major.  How's it going?"  I waved at her, grinning.

            "You're alive!"  Damn.  That didn't bode well.

            "Sir!  General Hammond ……  Where are you?"  Walker's Captain asked when he saw his CO was speechless.

            "We're on the Asgard home world.  Thor took us on a little trip."

            "The Asgard….  Where the hell is that?  Why haven't you contacted us sooner?  Does General Hammond know?"

            "Major."  I stopped her questions.  "I have a question, first.  How long has it been since we left Earth?"

            "How long?  Sir, you've been missing for over 6 months!"  She sounded exasperated.

            "Six months!?" I heard Carter exclaim behind me.  I agreed with her.

            "Major, we've been traveling for less than a week.  We can't have been gone for six months."

            "General, the last time any of us saw you was at the briefing of the White House Press six months ago.  You all disappeared from the green room minutes later."  The Captain, I think his name was Kusleszki, said.

            "Damn.  Look, I need to talk with General Hammond asap.  How long will it take  you to get back to the gate, and get him here?  We can't communicate any other way right now."

            "Ah.  Give me half an hour, sir."  Walker looked at Kusleszki, and he nodded and ran through the chamber entry, fumbling in his pocket for the GDO as he went.

            "Half an hour?  But the Gate is miles away."

            "A lot has happened in the last six months, sir.  We have teleporters now, and installed them on Cimmeria just last week."

            "Teleporters?"  Carter piped up, and then shoved me out of the highlighted circle.

            "You could have asked, Colonel." I grumbled and went over to stand beside Teal'c.

"Glynda?  Where did you get the teleporters from?"  Carter asked breathlessly.  "How do they work?  Has David managed to backwards engineer them?  Can we make our own?  What do they run on?"  David?  Who the hell was this David guy?  I looked at Teal'c in demand, but he just raised an eyebrow in question at my glance, and then ignored me.

            "Ease up, Sam."  I heard the Major, Glynda, laugh.  They were obviously friends.  Maybe David was a friend of Glynda's?  "We, or rather, SG2, found a civilisation about four months ago, that was about as advanced as ours.  They'd managed to control particle manipulation about 80 years ago, and created the tele-porters we use now."

            "What did we give in return?"  I asked, and Carter repeated it.

            "It's wasn't anything too difficult.  Their medical advancements weren't as sophisticated as ours.  We gave them Penicillin, which didn't grow on their planet, and some of the new pressured hypo's."

            "That's it?"  Carter exclaimed.

            "Pretty much.  A few exotic fruits, apples, oranges…"  I heard her smile, even from outside the light.

            "So, how does it work?"  Carter got back to her favourite subject.  I tuned out.  If it worked, and I didn't get to the other side inside out or back to front, I was happy.  Forty minutes later, Carter called me over.

            "The Stargate's just been activated again, Sir."  She said, stepping out of the ring of light.  I stepped back in and turned to watch the chamber entrance.  Homer – Sorry, Hammond came trotting in, his face pale and clammy, but I saw a smidgen of hope flickering through the skepticism that laced his features.

            "Hey, George."  I called, waving at him.  He stopped, stared, then walked forward, staring at me in shock.

            "My God."  He breathed, his face flushing with colour.

            "Nope, just me.  And Carter, Teal'c and Daniel are around here somewhere, too."

            "What the hell happened to you, Jack?"  Hammond demanded, looking as though he were torn between knocking me flat and grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me.

            "Nothing.  Well, not much, anyway.  Thor decided that he needed our help in another part of the universe."

            "Just what exactly, do you mean, General?"  He said in his most reasonable 'I'm running out of patience' tone of voice.

            "Thor boosted us from the green room of the White House just after our briefing, sir."  I decided to report.  "We've been on his ship for the last four days, and he wouldn't let us contact anyone to let you know we were alright.  Something about inter-stellar communication and travel distances….  I don't know, ask Carter.  Anyway, we arrived on the Asgard home planet and met the Big Wigs, and they all argued about helping us and then we got beamed to Thor's house….  Palace.  Honking great big place."   

            "You're on the Asgard home planet."  Hammond repeated the critical part of my report in monotone.

            "Yes sir."

            "And where is that exactly?"

            "We have no idea sir.  But it's a long way from home.  If you talk to Siler, he can explain the time variance, I'm sure."  'He' being the tech sergeant of the decade, in my mind.

            "I can't do that, Jack."

            "It's not that hard."  I replied sarcastically.  "Just go up to Siler and say 'Sergeant.  Why would it take four days to travel to the Asgard world, but six months would pass on Earth?'.  See, easy."

            "Jack, Sergeant Siler died two months ago, on a mission to PX9 840."

            "Shit."  I closed my eyes, feeling my gut twist.  I heard Carter exclaim softly behind me, and sympathised.  Siler was a good friend of hers.

            "Sorry, General.  I had no idea."

            "Of course you didn't, Jack.  It's alright.  It was quick.  And we gave him a nice funeral."

            "You found the body?"  I was surprised.  In SGC deaths, the bodies were almost always irretrievable.

            "Yes.  What do the Asgard want, Jack?"  Hammond steered away from the tough subject, back to firmer, more familiar ground.

            "We think that Thor and a few others are having problems convincing the rest of the Asgard about how much of a threat the Goa'uld actually are to the rest of the universe.  One guy in particular, Loki, is a real nice guy.  Have him round to dinner any time.  I figure Thor brought us here to convince them the Goa'uld are serious."

            "What about the Protected Planets' Treaty that we signed several years ago?"

            "I have no idea, but my guess is it was only a few Asgard that uphold that treaty.  Thor. Freyr.  A few others.  Not all of them."  I spared a glance outside of the light, to see Teal'c heading out the door, back towards Daniel.  Sam motioned with her head, and I nodded in response.

            "Sir, we gotta go.  But I need to stay in contact with you guys.  See if this time distortion thingy is still working.  Can you leave someone on Cimmeria for us?"

            "Not a problem, Jack.  We'll have SG18 stay here until you're ready to come home.  Contact every six hours, General."

            "Yes, sir."  I replied, and stepped out of the light, nodding at Carter to turn it off.  She moved the stone, then stood still, head bowed.

            "You okay, Sam?"  I asked, stepping over to her.  She sniffed, then nodded.

            "Yes sir.  It was just… unexpected news, that's all."

            "I know.  He was a good man."  I shifted, then stepped one step closer, and put a hand on her shoulder.  "Come on, Colonel.  Time to go do our job."

            "Sir."  She acknowledged, and walked out of the room.  I followed, thinking to myself that sometimes military training can help.  It was helping Sam right now, letting her squash her grief in duty.  I knew – who better? – that the grief would return, but only when the job was done, and everyone was safe.  I made a promise to myself to be there to help her through it.


	5. Oops, Did it again

Unity

Disclaimer:  Nope, not mine.  Although I love my Alternate Universe where a certain optically challenged (but certainly not colour-wise) archaeologist is still alive!!!  Ah, fanfic. What would we do without it?

Rating:  G

Authors' Note: E-flat. (bwah-ha-ha-ha)

Chapter 5 – Oops, did it again.

Daniel was bursting at the seams when we found him, almost jumping up and down with excitement.  I glanced at Teal'c, but he remained impassive.

                "What's up, Daniel?"  I asked him, peering at the light show behind him.

                "I was looking through the book, just trying to find some point of reference, when I accidentally touched this shape, here."  He pointed at it, a small blobby shape in yellow and orange.

                "And?"

                "Well, just watch."  He said, and touched the blobby shape, his finger going slightly through the holographic image.  It shuddered and then opened up, as if it was a flower bud.  I glared silently at Daniel, and he squirmed.  I didn't even need to voice my annoyance at him touching things he shouldn't.  He already knew he'd done something wrong.  It had happened so often.  I turned my attention back to the yellow blob, and stared.

                "Daniel.  What did you do?"  I asked, staring at the picture before me.

                "Nothing.  Well, nothing but touch the formation representing hydrochloric acid, anyway.  Do you know what this is?"

                "An ex-hydro-electric formation?"  I guessed, and got a sour look for my trouble.

                "Not quite, Jack.  It's a notation.  But it's in Asgard.  Which I can read."

                "What does it say, Daniel Jackson?"  Teal'c leaned it to look, an eyebrow raised in query.

                "It's some kind of….  This shape here?  It represents conflict.  This one, disharmony."  Daniel pointed to several etched in shapes, that looked a lot like squiggles.  "I think this is a record of the Asgard council meetings.  But stuff that's a little sensitive."  Daniel went silent for a moment, then took a breath.  "_The Honoured Loki interjected, saying that the conflict between the Goa'uld and barbaric races does not concern the Asgard.  He continued, stating 'the Asgard have removed themselves from the concerns of the barbarian races of Tau'ri and Mo'at.  The current application to assist these beings denotes a carefree dismissal of the Tau'rok Papers'."  Daniel pushed up his glasses, which were half-way down his nose, and blinked.  _

"It goes on like that for a while, but then it mentions the Tau'rok Papers again.  '_The papers were designed to minimise the Asgard affect on the Tau'ri psyche.  Thor himself advocated these papers, sighting culture and evolutionary disparages.'  Then there's a symbol that could represent withdrawing.  Or it could be swimming.  But I think it would be withdrawing in this context.  '__It is the Councils decision to withdraw.  The Asgard Thor and his compatriots are ordered to-' That's all that's on here.  There could be more on another."_

                "Find it, Danny.  I have a feeling it could come in handy."  I ordered, then walked slightly apart, thinking.

                "Sir?"  Carter asked me, coming up beside me.

                "Just thinking. What do you think Thor was ordered to do?"

                "From that?  I'd guess he was ordered to cease his assistance, and more than likely to remove himself back to Asgard."

                "It would make sense, O'Neill.  It would explain the Viking Gods' sudden disappearance, and the reliance on remote technology that the Asgard have left behind on many protected planets."  Carter and I stared at the big guy in shock.

                "That's a lot of words, T."  I observed.

                "Indeed."  He replied, tongue in cheek.  "It is also my opinion, that I felt I should offer freely."

                "And we accept it, Teal'c.  Thank you."  Carter cut in, before I said anything else sarcastic.  As if I would!

                "Sir?  You alright?"  She patted my back as I finished coughing.  Gotta stop lying to myself.  It could cause some serious damage.

                "Fine, S-Carter.  Fine."  I shot a look at Teal'c, to see if he'd noticed my slip of the tongue, but he was looking at Carter's hand.  Which was still attached to my back, moving gently.  Oops.  I stepped away quickly, mentally apologising for any unintentional insult to my 2IC.  Carter dropped her hand and stepped back, her eyes shooting down and then back up to mine.  She forgave me, the look said.

                "Found it."  Daniel called us back, reading intently.  "Looks like they were ordered to retreat from direct interaction with the Tau'ri and other races, and to leave them to their own… devices, for want of a better term."

                "But they didn't."  Carter objected.

                "No.  From what this says here, in this different writing, Thor and a few of the Asgard broke away, and while not directly interfering, they did not abandon the Tau'ri.  Thor's Hammer and Chariot, for instance."

                "So good old Thor's a rebel at heart, huh?"  That made me feel so much better.  I have no idea why, but it did.  Daniel started to answer, but the place suddenly went mad.  Literally.  The lights above us started flicking on and off, rapidly.  The floors started buckling and heaving.  The window's that I could see shattered into a thousand pieces, and re-solidified in seconds.

                "What the hell is going on?"  I yelled, staggering over to a handy wall.

                "I have… no …idea, sir."  Carter stuttered back at me.  We all stood there for a few more seconds, until all went quiet.

                "Any idea's as to what the hell that was?"  I straightened, looking around.  I expected a lot of damage, similar to an earthquake.  Cause that was sure as hell what it felt like we'd just been through.  But there was no damage at all.  The buckling floor was back to it's normal smooth self.  The window's were cheerily looking out at the orange forest.  The lights were shining.  As if nothing had happened.

                "It could be a regular occurrence of the house, Jack."

                "Why would it do that regularly?" I looked at Daniel in amazement.

                "I have no idea.  Just tossing idea's out there." He replied, then turned back to his virtual book.  He pressed a few images, but nothing happened.  "Ahh, Jack?"  He called me over.

                "They're gone?"  I guessed.

                "Looks like it.  Do you think I could have set off a security system of some sort?"

                "It's possible, Daniel."  Carter agreed.  "Maybe the Asgard genetic build would have been seriously damaged by what just happened.  The light show could have affected them, or there might have been some sort of sound disruption that our ear couldn't detect.  That could be what shattered the window's."

                "I think we need to talk to our old buddy."  I decided.  "Any ideas how to get him here?"

                "Well, if that was a security alarm, surely the owner would be notified?"  Daniel frowned from behind his glasses, his eyebrow's beetling.

                "Well, back on Earth, we would.  But here, you never know."  I looked around, trying to identify anything that could function as a telephone in this place.  I was examining a block of white material, about the size of a biscuit tin, when I heard a chime behind me.  I looked around, and saw a small Asgard standing behind the rest of my team.

                "Yes?"  I asked him (her?), walking forward.

                "If you will please follow me."  The female growled in her low voice, and then walked slowly off towards the right.  I gave a one-shoulder shrug and followed, my team trickling after me.  The female led us into a small bare walled chamber.  When we were all inside, the door closed behind Teal'c and the female turned to us.

                "In these panels you will find Asgard weapons of protection."  She pointed to one wall, which slid open to reveal nifty little gadgets that I, once I heard that they were weapons, was dying to get my hands on.  "Here, you will find travel-devices.  And here, cloth bearing manipulators."  She then turned and walked through the wall.

                "Hey, that's a Tollan device!"  I cried to her, but I had a feeling she'd already gone.             

                "Carter?"  I called, needing her input.  She was already exploring.  

                "Here, sir.  Take this and this.  Daniel?  Can you grab a few of those?  We need more space.  What's provoked this, do you think?"  She mused as she collected and distributed items to us all.  "All of a sudden we're being provided with this ordnance?  There had to be a triggering factor."

                "It could be that the disturbance we experienced earlier was not due to Daniel Jackson's manipulation of the book."  Teal'c announced.

                "What else could it be?"  I asked, in all seriousness.

                "I am unsure.  However, the female Asgard providing us with weapons and means of movement on this planet does not indicate a trust in our safety in this place."

                "That's more words that I've heard you say in a long time, Teal'c."  I observed humorously.  Teal'c nodded his head in reply, silent now that he'd put his two cents worth in.

                "For what it's worth, I have a feeling Teal'c's right about that, Jack."  Daniel said, shuffling a few of 'his' objects around.  "I'd been playing with that elemental book for a while, and there didn't seem to be any disturbance."

                "So what prompted this?"  I asked, placing 'my' objects on a spare flat surface.

                "I have no idea, but let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, shall we?"  Danny's tone was facetious.  Carter, who'd been silently listening, picked up one of the objects and pointed it at me.

                "Whoa, Colonel!"  I barked, jumping out of the way.  "Point that thing some place else!"

                "Sir."  Carter looked slightly taken aback, then flushed.  "Sorry.  It's not one of the weapons, sir.  It's a 'cloth bearing manipulator'."

                "How can you be sure.  They're all alien."

                "Because this one was blue, while the other device was a bright red.  Red traditionally means danger, sir."  I debated the concept of arguing about alien technologies and use of colour, but decided that I probably wouldn't win the point, and let it go.

                "Fine, but can you please try that thing on an inanimate object first?  I don't want to find myself barbequed, after all."  Carter grinned at me, then pointed the blue swirly object at the near-by pedestal.  A flash of intense light, and we were staring at a darkly attired pedestal, swathed in charcoal and rusted orange.

                "Well, it's better than the Tollan uniform."  Daniel commented.

                "That would not be difficult to achieve, Daniel Jackson."  Teal'c replied, tongue in cheek.  He had a point.  The Silver uniform of the Tollan was a truly… lovely piece of clothing that I was eternally grateful I'd never had to put on.

                "Okay, now that we've got that confirmed, back to the fountain."  I ordered.

                "Sir?"  Carter called as she followed.

                "We've been in these outfits for four days straight, Carter.  I think you could class us as offensive, just by our smell."

                "Oh."  She replied, then stepped slightly away from me. 

About twenty minutes, a wash and several different clothing styles later, we were all dressed in khaki green (which we all decided was much more comfortable that fluorescent purple), with snug black synthetic shoes.  

                "These feel… weird."  Daniel bounced up and down on his new shoes, testing them out.

                "They're kinda snug, aren't they?"  I agreed, twirling an ankle to get used to the close fitting shoe.  I looked at Carter and Teal'c, who had ignored their new clothing in order to concentrate on more interesting things.  Weaponry.

                "Teal'c!"  I yelled when a piece of wall shuddered and then disappeared before our eyes.  Teal'c looked back at me, then glanced at the weapon he'd just fired in appreciation.

                "I am most curious to know where the section of wall has gone, O'Neill."  He told me, studying the weapon in his hands.

                "Teal'c?  Can I?"  Carter asked, holding her hand out for the thing.  Teal'c silently handed it over, and Carter fiddled with it for a few seconds, then fired it again.  The wall re-appeared.  Not where it was originally, but it reappeared.

                "Daniel?"  I called, seeing a large section of wall where Daniel had just been.

                "Here."  Daniel replied, walking around the newly rematerialised wall.  "That was neat."

                "It must hold the molecular structure inside the device, somehow.  This button here compresses and collects the molecules.  This button here reverses the procedure."

                "So if we shoot some grey butt, they aren't necessarily dead?"  I clarified.

                "Jack!"  Daniel objected.  "We aren't going around shooting Asgard."

                "Just in case, Danny.  Just in case."  I picked up the last of our little 'gadgets'.  "Now, what about these.  What do they do?"  I handed it off to Carter, who looked briefly at it, then handed it to Daniel.

                "It has symbols on it.  Daniel?"  The archaeologist was looking at the device, turning it over in his hand.   It was about the size of an old mobile phone – the one's that looked like a small brick – and it was a very metallic blue.

                "It has a frame of location, here."  Daniel pointed to one symbol that seemed to shimmer as he placed his hand over it.  "And here, it looks like a field generator."  He pointed to the oscillating symbol, turning slowly in it's display.

                "So one says where we're going.  The other says how many?"  Carter peered over Daniel's shoulder.

                "At a guess, yes."  He and Carter began to go into detailed speculation, which I quickly put an end to by snatching the device out of Daniel's hand.

                "So, shall we try it?"

                "What about the difference in weight ratio's from the Asgard to us?"  Carter pointed out.  "There could be a problem… No, I think the Asgard would have been smart enough to give us a manoeuvring device that was programmed to our particular structure and unique genetic makeup."

                "You think?"  I clarified her statement.

                "I'm pretty sure they would have."  She assured me.  Well, she tried to assure me.  It didn't exactly work.

                "Is there a way we can test this without hurting or turning one of us inside out?"

"Ahh, no."  Daniel apologised.  "If you want, I'll go first."

"No.  If someone is going to get their insides looked at, it should be me."  I replied, then stood in the open passageway.  "Shoot me, Carter."  I ordered her.

                "Why, sir.  I thought you'd never ask."  She gushed, and shot me.  To say the feeling was alien would be an understatement.  It didn't feel at all like the Stargate.  It didn't feel like the Asgard 'beam-me-up-scotty' device.  It was somewhere in the middle. Kind of like a children's roller-coaster.  Fun, you get a bit of the rush, but nowhere near the adrenalin boost a full adult roller-coaster can give you.  Add to that the disappearance of your team-mates, and then the slow fade in of the bright orange tree line, now very much within touching distance, and it made for a very odd effect.  I briefly held my breath, thinking that the air on this planet would not support me, then remembered our tour a few hours ago.  We were outside then, with no problem.   I inhaled, then grinned.  I was the right way out, in another place, and I had weapons.  All I needed was my team, and I was a happy man.  With that thought, the rest of my team shimmered into sight.

                "It worked."  I told them, grinning.  I was now officially a happy man.

                "Well, obviously."  Daniel replied, gesturing at my right-side-out presence.

                "And we can transfer the transferee at the same time."  Carter sounded ecstatic about that.

                "The transferee?"  I repeated, chuckling.

                "You know what I mean."  Carter harumphed at me, then turned to watch Daniel, who was studying the trees with rapt attention.

                "Danny?"  I called his attention back to the task at hand.  He turned back and raised an eyebrow.  "So, any more theories on why we got all these goodies?"

                "No, Jack.  But I was thinking.  Why don't we go and do some exploring.  Any questions we ask the Asgard High Council are sure to be influenced by the partisan they follow.  If we talk to the ordinary, every day Asgard, we may get some more idea's of what's going on."

                "Let's do that, then.  Daniel, where do we want to go to find the common variety of Asgard?"

                "Probably Odin's Hall.  That's here, see?"  He pointed to a space on the blue moving device, that was about the size of New York, and had some squiggly writing on it.

                "What's that say?"  I pointed at the writing.

                "Odin's Hall.  Place of the Asgard."

                "Ah.  Captain, take us there!"

"Captain!?"  Carter spluttered.  I chuckled evilly, then decided to explain before I got scalped.  "As in, Captain of the ship…  You know, person in charge of movement.  Just take us to

Odin's Hall, Colnel."  I sighed, in defeat.  I saw her mutter to herself as she set the destination, but decided not to call her on it.  I like my hands to be functional, not blobs of broken flesh on the ends of my arms, thank you.

The world faded in the dizzying 'beam-me-up-scotty' way that I'd experienced a few minutes before, and we were in a large city area, surrounded by an assortment of both Asgard and aliens.  Some I recognised, but there were many that I didn't.  We didn't earn a second glance as we appeared close to the wall of one large building.  Good, blending in didn't appear to be a problem here.

                "Teal'c, you and Carter head over to the west.. ah, that way.  Daniel and I will canvas the area directly below that huge overpass there.  Info gather, people, but don't bring attention to yourselves, if at all possible.  We'll meet back here in 2 hours."  Teal'c and Carter nodded and wandered off towards the large fountain and what looked to be an eating area to the west of us.  Daniel and I headed towards the large overpass, navigating our way around the busy square.

                "Jack, did you notice that?"  Daniel asked, leaning in closer and nodding his head to his left.  I looked over and saw what he was pointing out.  There were a few humanoid people sitting down in what looked like an Asgard café.  There were seats of all varieties arranged neatly, and people were seated in small groups.  One of the humanoid aliens caught my eye and smiled a hello.

                "Well, looks like we've got an invitation, Danny.  Let's see where it takes us, huh?"  I smiled back, and we both walked casually over to the group.  The one who'd smiled at me stood up and held out a hand, palm up.  I mirrored it, hoping I was doing the right thing.

                "Catel Mina, Friend."  The man said, nodding his head.  Daniel repeated the greeting for us, and we all sat down again.

                "I am Serien Do'liaan of Nuthol.  This is Arwew, Niuyl and Burlios."

                "I'm Daniel Jackson and this is Jack O'Neill."

                "Strange names."  The one called Arwew said, leaning forward and sipping her drink slowly.  "You're not from Nuthol are you?"

                "No.  We're not."  I replied, not giving them any information.  "So, what are you four doing hanging around Odin's Hall?"  I looked around, and as far as I could see, we were the only humanoid aliens in the area.    

                "We're here to pick up some cargo from the Lolithian's to take back to Iopen.  Just waiting for the inventory to come through."  Serien answered, picking up his own drink.

                "Iopen?  Where's that?"

                "Other side of Asgard, just this side of the Chifrei.  You been there?  To Chifrei, I mean?"

                "No.  Haven't had the chance yet.  So, what's good to drink here?"

                "Oh, the Watniop, definitely.  It's got a bite, but it grows on you.  And the after effects are pretty spectacular."

                "Sounds good, but I don't think I will, not this early in the day.  Any thing a little less interesting?  Danny here doesn't do too well with drinks that have bite."

                "If you want something plainer, go with Riop Juice.  Sweet, and got a hell of a lot of nutrients for us 'noids.  Those squares the Asgard give us just don't do it, do they?"

                "That's the truth!"  Niuyl toasted, chugging back the remainder of his glass of Watniop.  Whatever the hell that was.  Serien ordered two glasses of Riop Juice for us, and they appeared quickly.

                "So, what are you four doing here?  What you after?"  Serien asked about half an hour later, after some idle small talk.  I blinked, but otherwise didn't show any surprise. Black ops trained, remember?  Nothing surprises us…. Hah.

                "An Asgard Mother ship."  I replied, and got a bark of laughter from Burlios for my trouble.  I smiled at him, then sat back, sipping the Juice.  It was nice.  A little bland, but Serien was right, I was feeling decidedly full from the drink, and there was energy bubbling below the surface of my skin, just dying to get out.

                "Ha ha, Jack.  You're a scout team aren't you?  Military?  What info are you after?"  Serien was serious all of a sudden. I had this lurching feeling that these four were not just traders.  Just like we weren't just explorers.  Especially not today.

                "What rank are you?"  Burlios asked, leaning forward.  I was suddenly aware of just how big Burlios was.  Nothing to match Teal'c, but still bigger than I was, and much closer than Teal'c.  Wherever he was right now.

                "General."  I finally answered, staring Burlios down.  "This is Dr Daniel Jackson.  We are a scout team, but it's not what you think.  My superiors asked me to come through and make sure our enemy isn't present on Asgard, to ensure the safety of some talks they intend to have with the Asgard High Council."  I decided to give them our real ranks, figuring that out here, General and Doctor wouldn't mean a hell of a lot to anyone.  Hell, as far as any one knew, Daniel could have been my superior.

                "Good luck."  Arwew snorted, swallowing a laugh.

                "What do you mean?"

                "Getting the Asgard to help the 'noids is like getting… I don't know, jul'es out of a kitchu stone.  Impossible.  Can't do it."

                "They've helped us before." I said, sounding worried and curious.  Hopefully just the right amount of each.

                "That was probably a few years ago, right?  Now, Loki… Look, just take is as Suo that you won't get any help from the Asgard.  Not while Loki holds the sway of power.  And that's just going to get tighter, if he gets his way with Thor."  Serien sounded bitter, almost snarling the last few words.  I topped up his Watniop again, and leaned forward.

                "What's he want with Thor?"  I asked, looking only at Serien.

                "He doesn't want Thor.  He just want's Thor dead.  Along with any and all of his friends."  Serien replied, then sculled the newly topped up drink and belched.   I got a whiff of the gasses and almost gagged.   He smelt like a fermenting peach.  Sickly sweet.  Then what he said actually sank in.  Loki wanted Thor and all his friends dead.  That included us and the entire of Earth, plus everyone else we knew, basically.  I shot a look at Daniel, who looked equally shocked and stunned.  This could be bad.  Very bad.


	6. Big Bada Boom

Unity

Disclaimer:  Golly gee whiz, I own them?  Wow.  I'd like to thank my parents, God, my pet poodle, Fu Fu.  My little kitten, Tuss.  And I can't forget my pet guinea pig, Papa New……  For those of you who don't understand sarcasm – that all means that I don't actually own them.  And if you don't understand sarcasm, what the hell are you doing reading a story from Jack's POV?!

Rating: And we're still G, Ladies and Gentlemen

Authors Note:  Apologies for the delay – work's been hell the last few months….  I'm trying to make up for it.

Chapter 6 – Big Bada Boom.

I recovered quickly, taking a deep gulp of the Riop juice, and letting it sit on my tongue for a second while I figured out what the hell to say to that.  Daniel, bless him, was one step ahead of me.

                "That's a bit of a difficult position for Thor, isn't it?" He said with an ironic lilt.  "Who's backing Loki up?"

                "A few of the minor council members.  The others are staying neutral at the moment.  Loki's got a huge warrior base in his home region. And Thor's been stepping on a few very sensitive feet lately."

                "Like?"  I finally got to ask.

                "Well, rumour has it that he's been in contact with the Tau'ri in the last few years, and has been assisting them beyond what was decreed in the Tau'rok Papers.  Odin wasn't exactly happy when he found out."

                "So Thor's been in the dog house, huh?"

                "What's a dog house?"  Arwew asked, leaning forward.  "Where the Thewi are you guys from, anyway?"

                "A place called Alderan.  It's in a galaxy far far away."  Daniel told them.  The name sounded familiar.  I had a feeling it was a Star Wars reference, given the line Daniel gave afterwards.  

                "Never heard of it."  Borlius grunted, still looking suspicious.

                "Few people have.  It's a very small planet, keeps to itself.  But back to the original question, I mean, Thor got into a little bit of trouble for helping out these… Tau'ri, you said?"

                "Yeah.  I mean, to actually reveal himself to the Tau'ri in the first place was.....  huge.  Then to actually cultivate a relationship with these people."  Serien grabbed something edible from the table and munched it as he talked, the mulched food showing as his mouth moved.  Manners galore, this one.

                "Who are the Tau'ri, exactly?"  Daniel asked, showing his usual signs of curiosity.  Although why he was asking about us, I have no idea.

                "They're the original's.  The Tau'ri are the people of the planet us 'noid's originally evolved on.  They're supposed to be really backward, and their technological advances are so far behind anyone else's that the Asgard decided to leave them alone for a few thousand years."  Serien took another piece of food, nibbling and slurping at the obviously juicy ..thing.  Nyuil picked up the story when Serien looked at him from above the fruit he was eating.

                "But then Thor goes and destroys all that by contacting some kind of spearhead group that was journeying through the Aqualin.  Turns out they'd found an old buried Aqualin and had begun to use it to explore the galaxy.  Thor and Freyr spoke to them, and helped them out in some places."  Nyuil gloated.  "But that's not the best part.  Thor SECRETLY brought a Tau'ri aboard one of their ships a few cycles ago, when one of the Asgard homeworld's was in jeopardy, and used it's knowledge to destroy the replicators threatening them!  And didn't even tell the Council."

                "So how did they find out about it?"  I asked, leaning forward to try some of the juicy food-stuff on the table.

                "Thor had to make some kind of rushed journey to the Tau'ri planet for some reason, and didn't have time to hide his vapor-trail.  Loki followed the trail, and figured out what happened."  Arwew picked up the story.

                "Bad luck for Thor, huh?"  Daniel sat back, nursing his juice.

                "Just a little bit.  So for the last few cycles, there's been in-fighting between Thor's faction and Loki's…  It's made for good trading.  In all sorts of things."  Arwew grinned slyly.  I could just guess what kind of trading.  Tense political positioning always made for good insider information trading. So Thor had been having a few harsh words with the other Asgard.  It went a long way to explain the veiled hostility we'd gotten when we'd been presented to the Council, and why Thor hadn't really told us anything about why he'd brought us here.  From what Serien and his team had told us, and what we already knew about Thor, he needed us to one, protect him and two, find out why this Loki guy was so hell-bent on killing him.  Nice to know our job before we get into any trouble.  I heard Daniel making small talk with the other military team, because a dime will get you a dollar, that's what they were.  Any information was good information, as the saying went.  And these guys were after info on us.  Pity everything we were giving them was completely false.

                "…Tatooine.  But the Sand-People wouldn't…."  I heard Daniel saying, and frowned briefly.  What the hell was that man talking about?  Where was Tatooine?  And Sand-people?  I looked around the square, trying to spot Teal'c and Carter, and finally caught sight of them coming our way.  It wasn't difficult to find them.  Teal'c towered above most of the alien's in the square, and his shiny black head gleamed in the alien sun.  I looked at Carter, walking next to him, and thought about what Serien had said.  A human, secreted in to help the Asgard defeat the Replicators.  That had been her.  A few years ago, the Asgard was on the brink of all out war with the Replicators, having found no way to stop their advance.  Thor had come to us, begging help.  Needing our 'stupid idea's' to help them.  So Carter had gone with him, back to one of their homeworlds, and had come up with a plan to lure the Replicators into light-speed, then destroy them with a timed self-destruct on their latest and greatest new space-ship, the O'Neill.  

                "Your team's coming back." Nyuil said, pointing them out of the crowd.

                "I know."  I replied, standing up and waving them over.  Carter acknowledged me with a nod, then changed direction.  I sat back down, and looked over at Daniel.  He was still only half way through his first glass of Riop Juice, and was sipping very small quantities each time he raised his glass.  Not that I blamed him.  We'd all had bad experiences with alien food and drink.  It tended to make a person very cautious with new stuff.  Well, it made Daniel cautious.  I still hadn't learnt my lesson.  Carter and Teal'c walked over and appropriated some seats from another table-thing, and sat down.  There were now eight of us around one small table.  All of us military, in one way or another.  This should be interesting.

                "Carter, Teal'c, this is Serien, Nyuil, Arwew and Burlios.  Guys, these are the rest of my team, Carter and Teal'c."

                "My."  Arwew murmured, gazing up at Teal'c, her mouth slightly open.  The rest just nodded at Carter and Teal'c, studying them closely.

                "So, where did you say you were from, again?"  Serien asked Teal'c.  Teal'c raised the obligatory eyebrow.  I just smiled and took a drink from my glass

                "Has not O'Neill already informed you of our place of origin?"  He said blandly.

                "Yes, O'Neill has."  Serien responded, looking slightly annoyed at not catching us out in a lie.  Good luck to him.  "We were just telling O'Neill and Doctor Daniel Jacskon about the problems Thor and Loki have been having.  They seemed most interested in them."

                "That's probably because it's the Asgard, Serien."  Carter said, taking my glass from the table and drinking from it.  "This is nice.  What is it?" She changed the subject very smoothly.

                "It's Riop Juice.  Perhaps you wanted some Watniop?"  Arwew smiled blandly.  All innocence.  Like we believed it.

                "No thank you.  This is fine.  So, what do you four do?"

                "We're traders."  Burlios replied, taking his eyes away from Teal'c.  The two of them had been playing 'you first'.  They'd been staring at each other intently, almost glaring.  Neither had looked away from the other since they'd been introduced.  It was like watching the battle of the silent titans.  It looked like Teal'c had won that round.

                "In what?"  Carter pressed.  Burlios was about to answer, but a loud explosion from behind me drove all eight of us for cover.  We huddled under the table, waiting out the fall of debris, then I peeked out to have a look, and promptly swore.

                "Carter, get over here."  I felt her shimmy over to me, and look out over my shoulder.  I shot her a look, then made my decision.  Within seconds, I was running across the square, my team on my heels.  The other four humans were close behind me, all of us heading towards the damage-torn area.  There were silent Asgard staring at us, some of them walking or running quickly away from the Square.  There was a quality of surrealism to the square, but I couldn't place why.  

                "Carter, over there!"  I yelled, pointing to where several grey Asgard lay, blinking up at the orange sun, open wounds on their bodies.  Daniel followed Carter silently, already ripping his shirt for bandages and tourniquet's.  Teal'c and I continued into the central area of destruction.  A part of my brain that wasn't dealing in more possible explosions was taking note of the Asgard pieces all over the ground.  A hand there, a leg here.  There were other bits that even my brain didn't want to identify, and I quickly turned my eyes from those.  I stopped just short of the massive indentation in the ground, staring at the damage the explosion had done to the building that had stood to one side of the square.  There was a hole the size of a small van in the front of the building, and a large hole in the floor of the square.  It looked to be about half a man deep, and at least 12 foot across.  I looked over to see an equally stunned Serien looking at the damage, his team minus Nyuil, looking on with him.

                "What the hell happened just then?"  I asked him, immediately suspicious.

                "Truth, O'Neill.  I have no idea."

                "Could it be an accident?"  Burlois asked, walking slowly around the crater.

                "What could have made an indentation this large?"  It looked like something from Israel or the West Bank.  Actually, this reminded me a hell of a lot of that.  Except for the screaming and yelling.

                "Why aren't they screaming?"  I asked Serien, indicating the almost silent Asgard.

                "They don't.  I've yet to see one of them get excited.  It's like a culture thing.  They just don't seem to do anything above a very deliberate speaking tone.  Although this is decidedly unreal."

                "Isn't it just?"  I agreed.  I studied the crater, then made a decision and jumped in.

                "O'Neill!"  Teal'c barked a warning, but far too late.  I was already in.  If anything was going to happen, it would be now.  I squatted down and had a look at the dirt and shattered concrete-like material in the crater, but couldn't see anything to indicate whether this had been deliberate or an accident.  Carter strode up to the edge and looked down.

                "We have at least 6 Asgard who look pretty critical, Sir."  She reported, her hands covered in blue gook.  Asgard blood, at a guess.  "Of course, I don't know a lot about Asgard physiology, so I have no way of knowing how bad they are.  Nyuil has some kind of medical device which seems to be helping with pain control, but it's almost out of charge.  We need some kind of medical help, and fast."  I looked to Serien, who had listened in quite openly to her report.

                "Well?"  I asked him, using the lip of the crater to pull myself up.  

                "The Asgard have a MEPU, but I don't know why they haven't arrived as yet."  He pulled a device from inside his jacket and handed it over to Carter.  "Use this.  You should be able to keep them stable until help arrives with this.  Burlios!"  He yelled over to the large man who was examining the building.  Burlios looked over with a snap of his head.

                "Yes?"

                "Go with this woman and assist.  You know Asgard physiology better than Nyuil."  Burlios nodded and left the holy building to Arwew's study, walking away with Carter.  I walked over to Arwew, leaving Teal'c and Serien to study the area around the crater.

                "So, Arwew.  Any idea's?"  I asked in my most commanding voice.  As I thought, she answered without even thinking about who was asking.

                "It looks like this was a hit, Ashiyiu."  I translated that to be another word for Sir.  "See here?"  She pointed towards a crease in the building's outer hull.  "That looks distinctly like a fold from a Suniwe Device.  We use them a lot on…  Ahh, I've heard they're used a lot in warfare."  

                "Would a Sunny Device cause damage like this?"  I asked, looking at the interior of the building.

                "If it was enhanced with Naquadah, you bet it would.  Even a tiny amount of naquadah could create this kind of damage."  She looked up as Serien came over to stand behind and above me.  I stood up, not liking the feeling of being looked own on. Superiority complex, who me?

                "Suniwe Device, Arwew?"  He asked, in confirmation.  

                "Yes, Ashiyiu.  See, here's the fold, here.  And look."  She pointed at something else.  It looked like just another piece of building to me, but Serien saw something that I obviously didn't.

                "Damn."  He muttered, then looked at me.  He seemed to be thinking for a while, then his head shot around to look at the other side of the square.

                "Call your woman, Carter and Doctor Daniel Jackson over."  He ordered me.  

                "I beg your pardon?"  I looked at him in amazement.  Yeah, I'm going to do what you say, Serien.

                "Please, just do it.  I don't have time to explain."  He looked at me, noticed my 'no way in hell' face, and then yelled to Burlios in another language.  Burlios looked up, then nodded and next thing you knew, he'd drawn a weapon on Carter and Danny.  I went for my Asgard weapon, but Serien had gotten the drop on me, and I was staring 'down the barrel' at some kind of weapon.  I sighed, then handed over the Asgard weapon, silently instructing Teal'c to do the same.  Carter and Daniel joined us, and we were a nice little group of captured SGC personnel.  

                "Follow me."  Serien ordered, then ran at a quick jog away from the square.  I got prodded between my shoulders, and instructed tersely to get moving.  I obeyed.  For now.

 Serien led us out of the square and into a back area.  He palmed open a door and slipped inside.  His team silently indicated that we should follow.  I was a tad reluctant – who wouldn't be – but the weapons aimed at us were very eloquent in their argument.  The corridor we'd slipped into was dark and low, making all of us crouch over as we walked towards the far end.  The end of the corridor opened up into another square, this one less populated than the first we'd just walked away from.  Serien led us around the outside of this one, and down another of the long street-like walkways that the city seemed to have.  The further we walked, the less 'people' we saw.  Finally, Serien led us into a room that was pretty bare, except for some sort of equipment on a table in the far corner.  He put up his weapon and dropped ours onto the table, then turned back to face us, leaning against the table, arms crossed over his chest.  

                "Want to give us an explanation?"  I asked him when the door had closed behind Nyuil, the last one to enter the room.

                "Funny, I was going to ask you the same question."  Serien said in reply, an eyebrow raised sardonically.  "Arwew."  He said briefly, and the woman nodded and left the room.

                "You drew the weapons on us, not the other way round."  I pointed out.  A ghost of a smile touched his mouth, then he frowned again.

                "What are you really up to?"  He jerked his chin, an unconscious movement, by the look of it.

                "Not a hell of a lot right now, considering we're being held against our will by armed traders."  I smiled at him, challenging him.

                "So, do you want to tell me who planted that Suniwe?"  Serien turned his attention to Daniel.

                "No."  Daniel blinked up at him, all innocence.

                "How did you get an Asgard Re-locater?"  Serien asked Carter, leaning in close.

                "It was a birthday present."  She replied, tilting her head to the side and batting her eyelids.  Serien stepped back, slightly annoyed. Good.  I looked at Teal'c, asking a silent question.  He moved his head in acknowledgement, the movement barely noticable.  Daniel had noticed our look and he moved slightly to the right, closer to Nyuil, the smaller of the three holding us.

                "You guys seem pretty well armed, for traders."  I observed, getting Serien's attention back to me, and away from my team.

                "Come, O'Neill.  We both know that we're not traders."  Serien was derisive.

                "What?!"  I feigned shock.  "I don't believe it.  You lied to us?"  I put a hand at my chest, playing the ham.  That was the signal Teal'c and the others were waiting for.  There was an explosion of movement, Teal'c erupting towards Burlios and grabbing the weapon before the movement had even registered in Burlios' eyes.  Then I looked away, intent on my own fight for Serien's weapon.  He didn't look particularly shocked to see us fighting back, and the kick he landed on my knee lent fact to that.  I groaned, muttered a curse, then swiped at him with my left hand.  My right hand was wrapped tight around his, and the weapon that we were scrambling to take control of.  We wrestled around a bit, then I caught him in a headlock, bent over to give my knee a break from the throbbing torture of holding my weight.  An elbow to his nose caused him to grunt in pain, which I then echoed when he elbowed my gut.  I finally twisted around and then flipped him onto his back, using a karati technique I'd learned years ago.  He lay there, the breath gone out of him, looking up at me.  I smiled behind the pointed weapon, graceful in victory.

                "Daniel?"  I called.

                "We're all clear.  Teal'c's on the door waiting for Arwew."  The arcaheologist reported.  I risked a micro-glance and saw him sitting on Nyuil, who was scowling and moving in protest.  I almost laughed at the sight.  I turned back to see Carter walking in front of me.  She grabbed one of our borrowed weapons from the table and then walked calmly back to Daniel, who finally got up off of Nyuil.

                "Right, up you get."  I gestured for Serien to get up.  He stared at me for a minute, then rolled onto his knees and stood up smoothly.  His knee's were fine, damn him.  He may be young, but I reassured myself that I had a lot more experience than he did.  And I had the weapon.  I wagged it at him, silently ordering him to join his team.  He silently wiped the blood dripping from his nose and limped slightly over to them.  Burlios was out cold on the floor and Nyuil was standing above him, watching Carter and Daniel through narrowed eyes.  Good, they had a little bit more respect for us.  Serien opened his mouth to speak, but I put a finger to my own, ordering him to stay silent.

                "We're just going to stay here, nice and quiet, until your other member comes back.  Then we'll have a nice little chat."

                "How do you know she's coming back?"  Daniel asked.  I rolled my eyes slightly and looked at him.

                "Please, Danny.  Arwew was decoy.  Sent out to distract whoever it was that these guys wanted us away from.  She'll be back in a few minutes."  I leant against the table, mirroring Serien's pose from just a few minutes ago.  And no it wasn't because my knee was hurting.  It wasn't, all right?  Carter noticed my wince and looked at my knee.  I shook my head in reply.  I didn't need any medical help.  Just new knee's.  The door swooshing open distracted us all, except Teal'c.  Arwew stepped through and the big Jaffa grabbed her and held her tight against him, one hand over her mouth, the other holding her torso tight to his.  She fought like a cat for a few seconds, actually getting one arm free and managing to scratch Teal'c down one side of his face, kicking his shins at the same time.  When she saw the rest of her team, however, the fight went out of her.  Teal'c walked smoothly over to the others and put her down.  He wasn't even straining, the show-off.

                "So we'll start this little question time off again, shall we?"  I smiled at the four laid out in front of me.  Three of them looked back. Burlois was groaning, on his way back to consciousness, but still too far out to even hear me.  "First question.  What's with the sudden change in scenery?"  The three of them looked at each other in puzzlement.  I sighed.

                "He means, why'd you bring us here."  Daniel translated.  Nyuil opened his mouth, but got a glare from his leader, and promptly snapped it shut again.

                "Okay, let's pass question one.  Go to number two.  Who do you guys work for?"  Again, my question was met with silence.  This was going to get old, fast.  "Do you speak English?"  Nothing.  "Are you related to Maybourne?"  Even that mortal insult left me without answers.

                "I give up."  I told my team.  I stood up, my knee having subdued to a dull throbbing instead of intense mind-numbing scream.  "Carter, go out… No.  Let's not do that again."  I turned back to the table and picked up one of the Asgard weapons and pointed it at Burlios.  I hesitated briefly, aware that we weren't sure if the weapon killed or not, then fired it.  

                "No!"  Arwew yelled, high-pitched.

                "What the cruvas was that for?"  Serien yelled, getting to his feet.  Nyuil was staring in shock at where his team-mate had just been.  My team-mates were looking equally stunned.

                "I don't like people who screw me around, Serien.  You start answering questions, or your team-members go the way of Burlios."  I pointed the weapon at Arwew and waited.

                "Damn it!"  Serien cursed. I could see him thinking, rapidly.  Good.  I wasn't going to inform him that the chances of Burlios being dead were pretty slim.  Let him think I was ruthless.  Let him think I would do anything for the mission.  There was a reason they'd taken us out of that square so fast.  A reason that had to do with the explosion and the crater.

                "I'm running out of patience, Serien."  I said evenly.

                "Jack."  Daniel said softly, questioningly.

                "Ah!"  I put one hand up to stop him, still staring at Serien.  "You saw something in that crater. Something that I didn't."

                "We…" Serien started, stopped.  Looked at his remaining team-mates, then continued.  "We'd been assigned a mission to find out about the political climate here on Valhalla by my government.  We've been on Valhalla for the last ten-day.  Within an hour of you arriving in Odin's Hall a suniwe was detonated causing tremendous damage and loss of Asgard life.  It appeard to me that a Tau'ri infiltration team placed the suniwe."  Serien stared at me through hard, green eyes.  "Your infiltration team."  He cocked his head to the side and somehow managed to look menacing, even when captured and outnumbered.  "You are the Tau'ri team SG-1.  And the Asgard will know you were the cause of that explosion in Odin's Hall."


	7. Trust

Unity

Disclaimer:  MGM et al own these guys. Not me.  I get no money from these stories.  Just laughs…

Rating:  General

Authors Note: FINALLY!!!!!  I'm sorry this has taken so long – I had a bad case of writers block on this chapter and add to that some serious work to do, and this story kinda got put on the backburners.. But here's the next installment.  Enjoy.

Chapter 7 –  Trust

                "Are not." I shot back, mind rapidly going over the consequences of these four knowing who we were.  If they worked for Loki, or whoever was against Thor, then this could be bad.  Of course, that's if what they'd actually told Danny and I had been the truth.  It could have been false information.

                "Are too."  He replied.

                "Am not."  I emphasised.

                "Oh, please."  He scoffed.   Yes, he actually scoffed.  "You travel with Apophis' Shol'va.  You want to go undercover, I suggest you loose the really large sign that says 'SG-1'."   I frowned, looking from Carter to Teal'c to Daniel and back again.  We had no such sign.  That would be pointless.

                "He means Teal'c, sir."  Carter explained patiently.

                "Ah."  Now I understood.  Teal'c did tend to stand out in a crowd.  Generally that was an asset.

                "What did you mean, we caused the explosion?"  Daniel asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.  Serien turned to look at him, eyes gone cold.

                "The Suniwe was set with a signature.  The signature of the creator of the device.  It was created on Taur.  Your home planet."

                "Actually, we call it Earth."  Daniel couldn't help but explain.  I know he couldn't.  I knew it was a compulsive habit of his to correct people.   But still, it would be nice if he kept his mouth shut, just once in a while.

                "Daniel."  I grumbled.  He flushed, then shrugged an apology.  I turned back to Serien and the rest of his team.  "What makes you think it was the Tau'ri that placed that bomb?  Wouldn't it be a little too convenient?  I think we have enough smarts to fudge a signature, don't you?"

                "Yes."  Serien replied blandly.  He was kneeling comfortably, hands sitting in his lap.  Harmless, defenseless.  Yeah, right.  The rest of his team sprawled behind him. None of them looked particularly worried about being captured by their captees.  Borlios looked downright uncaring.  Of course, that could be because he was still trying to get his eyes to focus.  Arwew was sitting crossed legged, curling a long piece of hair around her finger.  Nyuil was staring at his hands, totally oblivious to Serien's and my conversation.

                "Well, that's something then.  So why did you try to capture us?"  Daniel and Carter, upon hearing my tone of voice, relaxed slightly, standing back a bit and Carter's weapon lowered so that it was pointed at the floor.

                "We didn't."

                "You did."

                "Didn't."

                "Did."  I was getting a serious sense of déjà vu.  Daniel coughed into his hand, and I swear I saw him covering a smile.  Carter's eyes were glinting, but I didn't want to know with what.  Nyuil, I saw from the corner of my eye, shot his leader a disbelieving glare from underneath thick black eyebrows, but otherwise Serien's team didn't move.

                "We did not try to capture you.  We did capture you.  And that wasn't our intention.  We merely expedited a way to remove you from the scene before authorities gathered and found both of our teams in the area."  Serien rubbed his lip with his forefinger, showing signs of annoyance.

                "Why would you want to do that?  Because of the signature?"  Daniel, the ever curious archaeologist asked before I could.

                "Yes.  We were the only Tau'ri or Tau'ri descendants in Odin's Hall.  It was a set up for one of us.  And as I know that my team didn't originate on Taur- Earth, was it?  As my team didn't come from there, the math indicates that yours did.  So we got you out of there."

                "Why?"  Carter hitched her chin upwards, looking belligerent.

                "Because our mission is to find and develop relationships with other people descended from the original Tau'ri.  You classify as that."

                "Ya think?"  Yes, it was sarcastic.  Yes, we'd both stated the obvious.  But I don't think either of us could have stopped it if we'd tried.

                "I've been known to, every now and then." Serien replied sarcastically.

                "So, who do you think would try to frame us?"  I asked, getting back on topic.

                "Gee, let me see.  Who has the Tau'ri pissed off lately?"  Serien cocked his head to think.  I got the feeling he was being sarcastic again.  "More than likely Loki or one of his followers."

                "It's the kind of thing Eschia would do."  Arwew said softly.  Serien shot a look at her, then nodded.  I frowned at both of them.

                "Yeah, it is, isn't it."

                "And we did get intelligence last tenday that she'd received that cargo from the Nuiliam."

                "Yes, we did."

                "It would make sense."  Nyuil joined in the conversation.  "Eschia has a lot more freedom to move around than Loki does."

                "And she does enjoy destruction.  Marsia proved that beyond doubt." Arwew added.

                "Do you want me to…?"  Nyuil faded out, leaving the suggestion as an implication.

                "Yes-"

                "Hello?"  I interrupted them, waving a hand to get their attention.  "Remember us?  You want to tell us what the hell you're all talking about?"

                "Sorry.  We think that perhaps Eschia framed you for the explosion."

                "Who is Eschia, when she's at home.  And why would she want to frame us?"

                "Eschia, daughter of Lui-Anda."  Arwew announced.

                "Well that explains a lot."  I replied, then threw up my hands and looked pleadingly at Daniel.

                "I've never heard of Lui-Anda, Jack."  He replied, sounding interested.

                "Lui-Anda is an ancient god of our world.  He was benevolent, very kind and traditionally held the power of the wind and earth."  Nyuil explained.

                "The way legend has it, Lui-Anda saved our people from enslavement to an evil, powerful god.  His name was Ra-An.  Lui-Anda took us away and hid us from Ra-An.  His daughter, Eschia, however, was spoilt and spent time with the Asgard God, Loki.  Legend has it that Loki manipulated and influenced Eschia until Lui-Anda had no choice but to disown her."

                "From that time, Eschia has become twisted and power hungry."  Serien finished the tale off.  I looked at Daniel.

                "Ra-An?"

                "Ra."  He confirmed.  "And Lui-Anda was more than likely an Asgard that rescued and then protected them from Ra."

                "Why have we not heard of this Lui-Anda, Daniel Jackson?"  Teal'c asked.

                "He was probably given jurisdiction over a different section of the galaxy to ours, Teal'c.  It would make sense that certain Asgard have responsibility for certain area's."

                "So Eschia is an Asgard with a chip on her shoulder."  I hopped back to sit on the table, suppressing a wince as my knee gave a final stab of pain.

                "A large chip."  Serien confirmed.  "Do you believe us, then?"  He asked.

                "No.  But I don't disbelieve you, either.  Tell you what, why don't you send one of your team out to investigate this Eschia girl, and I'll send Teal'c with him.  That way we can find out if it was Chip Girl, and the rest of us can stay here and get to know each other better."  Serien hesitated as he thought over my suggestion, then nodded.  He turned to look at Arwew who nodded and stood up.  Teal'c stepped back and allowed Arwew to go ahead of him, closing the door after him with a soft click.

                "You awake now, Burlios?"  I asked, walking over to stand near him.

                "Yes."  He replied reluctantly.

                "How's your head?"

                "Sore.  What the hells did he hit me with?"  He put a hand to his head, gingerly touching a sore point.

                "His fist.  We're thinking about registering it as a lethal weapon."

                "Don't think about it.  Do it…..  Damn."  He made his way to a sitting position, inching closer to the rest of his team-mates.

                "Ah, sir.  We promised Hammond…" Carter said softly as I returned to them.

                "Right, we did didn't we?  How long ago was that?"

                "More than two hours."

                "Plenty of time, then." I checked my own watch, mentally setting my internal clock to remind me.  I looked back to Serien and his team and sighed.

                "You may as well get up and get comfortable.  By the look of it, we're going to be here for a while."  Serien stood up slowly wincing as his abused back muscles yelled at him.  I hid a small smile, grateful that I wasn't the only one suffering.

                "Seats, Jack?"  Daniel suggested, and I nodded in reply.  He looked around in vain for some seats, having no luck.  Aside from the table and chair that I had been leaning on, the room looked like Mother Hubbards' Cupboard.

                "There are some seats in the room next door.  Through that opening."  Nyuil informed him, cocking his head in the right direction.  Daniel nodded and left the room.  He came back seconds later, chairs under each arm.  They were all a little small, like chairs in a primary school, but they would do.  We all sat down in a circle, and I had the intense desire to get a teapot and start pouring out cups of tea.  I almost looked for the cucumber sandwiches, but restrained the impulse.  Although why people would eat just plain cucumber sandwiches I will never understand.

                "So.  I suppose we'd better reintroduce ourselves."  I said, looking at the three in front of me.

                "Yup."  Serien agreed.  "You first."

                "Fine.  I'm General Jack O'Neill.  This is Colonel Samantha Carter and Doctor Daniel Jackson.  Teal'c has obviously gone with your other friend."

                "Her name is Alin Arwew Na'ita.  I am Aliaern Serien Buopnias.  This is Alin Nyial Ai'stion and Dujon Burlios Carmpon."  We all nodded at each other.  I guessed that those names, Alin whatever, would more than probably be ranks, like Colonel and Major.  The Dijon Mustard rank had me puzzled, but it was something I could live with.  

                "So.  Where are you guys from, again?"

                 "We are from Nuthol.  It's in the Dusoto Galaxy, near Exismao."

                "Know it well."  I replied.

                "Really?"  Burlios asked excitedly.

                "No."  I said flatly, destroying his hopes.  I'm cruel like that sometimes.  I turned back to Serien, who was lounging comfortably back against his chair.  "So, are we going to be honest with each other here, or what?"

                "I have nothing to hide."  Serien told me.  I frowned at him, unsure whether I wanted to believe him or not.  

                "Jack."  Daniel said softly, getting my attention.  "Should we perhaps go back to the palace?  Talk to Thor?"  I turned my head to look at him, unsure what he was getting at.  He moved his eyebrows pointedly, then looked at his watch.  Right, time to move away from here.  

                "What about Teal'c?"  I asked, standing up.

                "A note?"  Daniel suggested, then turned to the other four.  "Have you got any writing implements, anything we can use to leave a message for Teal'c and Alin Arwew?"  Burlios nodded, reaching into his jacket to retrieve something for Daniel.  He took it, staring at it in perplexity.

                "What's it do?"  I asked.

                "You press this button here, record your message, then press this one here.  Leave the device on the table.  When Arwew gets back, she'll activate the recorder, and see your message."

                "Mini-camcorder device?"  Carter murmured as she stepped forward.  I could see her fingers itching to get control of the alien technology.  Serien, who'd heard her comment, smiled softly.

                "Right.  Daniel, record the message.  Then we're off to see the wizard."  Daniel nodded and pressed the required buttons, telling Teal'c and Arwew that we were headed back to the place of the Hammer, and to meet us there.  Daniel put the device on the table and then turned back to us.  Serien cleared his throat and gained all of our attention.

                "Right.  Now, to make it out of the city, we're going to have to go down this alleyway to the end, avoiding any Asgard we may encounter.  Once there, duck into the building across the way, up the stairs then out onto the roof of the next building.  We'll need to keep a low profile until we get to Fed Square, but after that, we should be right to pick up a flyer to get us where we need to go."  Serien faded off, noticing that I was just staring at him, full of amusement.  "What?"  He asked.

                "Nothing.  If your set on doing this the hard way, I have no problem with it.  But frankly, I'd prefer to use this."  I replied, holding up the device Thor's buddy had given us.  Serien and his team stared at it in amazement, mouths gaping open.  "Nice to see we can still shock you."  I said sagely, then tossed the translocation device to Carter.  "Figure out how to get us back to Thor's, would you?"  I asked her.  She nodded, quickly tapping out a few instructions on the device, then looked at the five of us.

                "Can you all…"  She waved her hands, "get in a little closer?  The device isn't having a good time with you all spread out like that."  We did as she ordered, gathering in as close as was comfortable, still managing to refrain from touching each other.  Didn't want to get all touchy-feely now, did we?  Carter nodded to indicate we were close enough, then stepped closer herself and pressed something on the device.  Flash of white and we had moved.  Serien and his remaining two team members staggered a bit on arrival, off kilter because of the transport, then looked around in dumb amazement.

                "It's small, but we like to call it… Thor's Palace." I enthused, waving my hand graciously.  I turned to guide them into one of the main rooms when who should walk around the corner but the man himself – or should that be alien himself?

                "Thor!"  Sam called to him.  Thor turned and stared at us, his eyes taking in the newcomers.

                "Good evening, Colonel Carter, Doctor Jackson.  Hello, General O'Neill."  He greeted us in his dry, monotonous voice.  "I have been concerned about your safety."

                "Really?  Don't stress, buddy.  We're fine.  Just peachy."  I reassured him, then frowned.  Thor was looking pale.  Er – paler than usual.  "Thor?  You okay, pal?"  I put a hand on his small, thin shoulder and felt the cool skin underneath my own.  That wasn't a good sign.  Normally, Asgard body temperature remained constant, several degrees above our own.  

                "Who are your friends, O'Neill?"  Thor asked, ignoring my concern.

                "Ahh, these are some people we met in Odin's Hall.  This is Serien and his team.  Burlios and Nyuil.  Teal'c and their other member Arwew are investigating the explosion.  Trying to find out what happened."

                "Ah."  Thor replied cryptically.  "I…" Thor started to continue, but I was watching his eyes.  They went glassy white, then the thin lids slipped down, and he was out.  As Thor collapsed I managed to catch him in my arms, his small frame was very light.

                "Carter!"  I yelled, standing up with the Asgard draped over my arms.  Carter, looking on shocked, rushed forward and put a palm to his chest.

                "He's still breathing sir.  And I can feel his heart beating."  She hesitated.  I knew what she was thinking.  The Air Force Medical training course didn't cover Asgard bodily functions.  Who knew if the heartbeat was erratic, calm.  Hell, for all we knew, the guy could be asleep.

                "We need to lie him down somewhere."  I suggested, looking around at the lack of beds in the corridor.

                "What about that lounge room thing we had dinner in?"  Danny suggested.  At my nod, he led the little parade down the corridor.

Carter rushed into the room before me, gathering up the brightly coloured cushions as she went.  She lay them in a pile on top of the couch, which I then gently placed the still unconscious Thor onto.  I stood back and fidgeted.

                "Now what?"  I asked the group at large.

                "Check his vitals."  Burlios offered.  

I turned to him.  "You know how?"  Burlios nodded.  I gestured for him to have at the Asgard.  He moved forward, between myself and the couch, then crouched down and put a hand at Thor's inner elbow.

"This is the main pulse point." He started lecturing. Daniel and Carter were instantly rapt.  "Here," Burlios pointed, "You find the main heart.  They have a secondary heart here."  Again, he pointed, this time to just below the thorax, where the neck met the chest.  "He seems to be okay.  The pulse is strong and steady, which is good.  His temperature is a worry, however.  We need to warm him up."  Three of us immediately took off an outer layer of clothing and handed it to Burlios, who draped it over the still Asgard.

"What's wrong with him?"  Daniel asked, leaning over the back of the 'couch'.  Sam looked up at him and then shrugged her shoulders eloquently.  She has very eloquent bones.

"I've never seen an Asgard collapse like that before."  Serien said quietly, rubbing his now bare forearms.  Nyuil stood next to his leader, grey eyes staring down at the equally grey Asgard.  I have to admit that I was worried about Thor as well.  I'd never seen him so… lifeless.  Even when he was in the Replicator infested ship, (before being frozen) he'd shown more sign of life.  

"So now what?"  I brushed a hand over my jaw, wincing as the whiskers caught on my palm.  Mental note, need to shave becoming paramount.

"I have no idea.  I don't even know how to call another Asgard to get a medic here."  Sam complained, sitting back.  Her hand was still resting on Thor's thin arm at the pulse point, monitoring no doubt.

                "Freyr!"  Daniel blurted out, looking up at me.  I frowned at him.

                "What?"

                "Freyr!  He'd help Thor, they're allied, right?"  Daniel turned to Serien, who nodded silently.  Daniel continued, "So, we get in touch with our people, who in turn talk to Freyr using the Asgard communication device."

                "You're kidding."  I replied, dumfounded.  "You're actually saying that we talk to someone all the way across the… universe! And then get them to talk to Freyr for us?  Why not just talk to Freyr from here?"

                "Well, we don't know how to, for a start."

                "Carter can figure it out."  I was confident.  Carter cleared her throat, looking a little reluctant.

                "I probably could sir.  But I couldn't guarantee that I could get our contact with Glynda back.  I wouldn't like to gamble on it.  It makes sense to do it this way, sir.  We don't know what kind of communication security Thor has set up, but it's a pretty good guess that the communication between Freyr and his people is fairly highly secure."

                "There's no way they could have continued to monitor without a secure line?"  I translated, thrusting my hands in my pockets.  It was a habit I'd developed a few years ago, out of self-defense.  Carter or Daniel (I forget which) had started lecturing, and I'd gone off into fidget mode, being bored.  Unfortunately the item that I'd decided to fidget with was rather.. sensitive.  It took me weeks to grow the hair back on my arms.  Hence, hands in pockets.

                "Exactly, General."  Carter agreed.  

                "So.  I guess I need to make a phone call, then, huh?"  I shrugged, then turned to walk out of the room. 

                "If you do not mind, General O'Neill, I will join you."  Serien announced, standing up.

                "Just O'Neill will do."  I told him, then lead him out of the room.


	8. Plotting

Title: Unity

Chapter 8

Author:  Saramund

E-mail: Saramund@hotmail.com

Season:  Season 4

Rating:  G

Authors Note:  My current Beta is on holiday {g} – so as of consequence, this chapter is entirely un-beta'd.  If anyone out there would like to volunteer –let me know.  Oh, and don't hold your breath for Chapter 9.  The muse is back (yay!) – but Real Life is inhibiting.  Damn it!  

Serien and I stood near the circular markings on the floor, waiting for the communications device to kick in from the panel.  Serien, at my right, glanced at me now and then, but remained silent.  Just as I was about to demand to know what was so fascinating, the light beamed on, and the circle illuminated.  I cleared my throat and stepped into the light.  Immediately, I saw the chamber on Cimmeria.  There were two SG people standing guard, arms at rest across their P-90's.   I cleared my throat to get their attention.  Much to my amusement, they jumped and turned, eyes wide and hands now holding their weapons firmly.

                "Hey, guys.  I need you to do me a bit of a favour."  I recognized one of them now that they'd moved closer and their faces came out of the shadows.  "Hey, Simpson." And no, his first name wasn't Bart or Homer.

                "General."  He replied, nodding his head in salute.  "What do you need?"

                "Thor's come down with something.  He looks pretty bad.  We need you to get in touch with Freyr through this contraption here and let him know that Thor needs his help."

                "Sure, sir.  Ahh, why can't you do that from where you are?"  Simpson asked, handing over his weapon to his team mate.

                "Because Carter isn't sure she'd be able to find this … address again if we did."  I turned with him, as he walked around the circle of light I was in, heading for the control panel.  "Do you know what it is your going to do?"

                "Yeah.  Colonel Carter gave our group a pretty good run down on how to operate Asgard technology.  I just move these stones here."  Simpson looked back at me.  "But I can't do that while you're talking to us, General."  He sounded apologetic.  

                "No problems, Simpson.  I'll pop back in ten minutes, see how you went."  I looked around, then stepped out of the light and found I was centimeters from Serien, who was looking on raptly.

                "What?"

                "You can manipulate those controls?"  Serien asked in an awed voice.

                "Well… Carter can.  And she taught a few others.  Why?"

                "We've been amongst the Asgard now for longer than my father has been alive and we've yet to grasp how to use those."  He managed to sound annoyed and awed at the same time.  "And you guys figure it out in how long?  No more than a child's age."

                "Well, we do have Carter.  That's almost like an unfair advantage."  I grinned at him winningly.  He grunted in reply.  We stood in pretty much silence for the next few minutes, waiting for the allotted time to pass.  Eventually it did, and I beamed back.

                "Well?"  I asked, stepping into the circle of light.  Simpson turned back to me, a frown on his face.

                "We couldn't get through to him, Sir.  Got a message from some underling that he'd been unexpectedly delayed.  The little guy looked nervous.  If he was human, he would have been sweating, I'm sure of it."

                "A lying Asgard?"  I asked, frowning at the man in front of me.  He nodded back.  

                "As scary as it may seem, I think so.  Ahh, Jason ran to get General Hammond while I was trying to contact Freyr.  He'll be back any minute now."  Simpson left off the implication that I should wait for my boss.  A Major shouldn't give a Brigadier General an order.  It's bad form, you know.  I nodded my head to show that I understood what he was asking of me, then folded my arms to wait.  I heard Serien shifting behind me, but dismissed him from my mind.  If he'd wanted to hurt me, he would have a long time ago.  Time to start trusting these people.  A little bit, anyway.

                A few minutes later, Hammond came marching around the corner of the chamber, striding through the open door.  "General!"  He barked, seeing me.  I waved back at him.  

                "Hey, George.  How's things going back on good old Earth?"  I asked when he got nearer.

                "Not good.  But they've been worse."  Hammond replied, wiping his slightly damp forehead.  "What's happening with you?  Any idea when you're going to be able to return?"

                "Sorry sir.  Things are getting a little tense here at the moment. Thor's out with something pretty nasty, and we can't get in contact with his allies.  Looks like a regular politically motivated intrigue.  But we'll deal with it.  Nothing is too hard for us!"  Hammond scowled at me in disdain, but I just continued to grin inanely.  Ahh, feigned ignorance is bliss.  "Can you give us an update on the whole Unifying the human race thing?  We can't get newspaper's delivered out here."

                "Jack."  George sighed heavily.  I just waited.  "The furor after our little announcement was intense.  It took two months to deal with the backlash of disbelief and naysayers before we even got around to considering putting aside all the civil conflicts and wars.  We've finally got India and Pakistan sitting at the same table, and that took monumental effort from all of us, including Rhun.  The middle east settled down fairly quickly, which was a big surprise to all of us.  Right now, we've got a Committee-"  Hammond almost spat the word at me,  "-who's currently arguing the best way to go about unifying the governments and who should take on what role.  It's a nightmare.  But Rhun is doing the best he can.  We've brought in representatives from a few of our allies, Cimmeria obviously, plus Jonta from Marli, and a few others from a couple of the planets we get naquadah from.  But aside from that, what's going on with you?  Anything to report."

                "Much of the same, actually, General."  I replied.  "Our allies here seem to be missing or ill all of a sudden, or unreachable.  Political intrigue and a bit of espionage, I have a feeling.  But I get the feeling that regular reports will be a little difficult to make in the next few days."

                "Fine.  I think by now, I trust SG-1 to do their job.  I will need some kind of confirmation that you're all okay in a few days, though, Jack."

                "If you haven't heard from us in seventy-two hours, then you probably won't hear from us again, General."  I replied honestly.  "Talk to you in three days."  I stepped back from the circle and the light dimmed.  I turned to Serien, who stared back silently, then walked back to the rest of the group.

Carter was still hovering near Thor, who was no shivering, despite the warmth of the room.

                "What did Freyr say, sir?"  Carter asked, looking up.  I shook my head in reply.

                "Looks like we're on our own.  Freyr can't be contacted, all of a sudden."

                "Gee, that's a surprise."  Daniel replied.  Carter tossed him a look, then returned her gaze to me.

                "I spoke with the General as well.  There's a few hiccups, but everything's working itself out.  We just need to find out what's going on with all our Asgard friends."  

                "I believe that I have a few answers, O'Neill."  Teal'c announced from the doorway.

                "How did you get back?"  Daniel demanded, looking stunned at Teal'c's appearance.

                "Alin Arwew Na'ita initiated an Asgard location device that brought us to this area.  We simply walked from there."

                "Sweet.  You have answers?"  I asked, getting us all back on track.

                "Indeed.  We, as ordered, went to investigate further, the events that led to our fleeing earlier today.  We discovered that indeed, it was a Suni'we.  However, as Alin Arwew Na'ita showed me the signature that identified the Taur'i.  I deduced that it was in fact a fake signature."

                "Obviously, since we didn't plant the bomb."  Daniel replied with sarcasm.  He got that off me.

                "Indeed.  Once I pointed out the inconsistencies in the signature, Alin Arwew Na'ita grew even more suspicious.  We availed ourselves of some security footage."

                "You availed yourself?"  Borlois repeated.  "What the hells does that mean?"

                "It means that he broke into a security facility and stole the security footage of that time and place."  Carter translated for the aliens.

                "Why didn't he just say that?"  Borlois complained.

                "He did."  I pointed out.  "Just in his own unique way."

                "I AVAILED myself of some security footage."  Teal'c repeated pointedly.  "We observed the placement of the explosive device was made by an Asgard, approximately three hours prior to our arrival on this planet."

                "Really?"  I said, suddenly paying this whole saga a lot more attention.  "Isn't that interesting."

                "Indeed."  Teal'c replied.

                "Why?"  Niall asked, looking from Teal'c to me and back again.

                "Because we flew in on Thor's ship.  Supposedly all aboard are loyal to Thor.  And no one but Odin, Thor and his ship's crew knew we were on our way here.  So someone on board must be a mole." Carter explained.

                "A… mole?"  Serien repeated, confused.  

                "A spy.  A traitor."  Carter explained

                "A Shol'va."

                "A bad, bad person."  I finished the explanation.

                "Oh."  Serien said, looking faintly perplexed.  "So, what, we've got some … bad, bad person who's out to implicate you in the murder of several Asgard?"

                "I think it's bigger than that."  I replied.  I sat down on one of the cushion/chair things, hands clasped between my knees.  "So far, since we arrived less than a day ago, we've had several Asgard Council members get in our face about our gallivanting across our galaxy.  We've had some strange Asgard give us weapons and lots of other nifty things to help us while we're here.  We've had some bomb go off in the middle of a crowded square, with the blame being placed firmly on us.  Then Thor turns up sicker than I've seen him in a long time, and Freyr goes missing just when we need him.  That all says conspiracy to me."

                "But that still doesn't help Thor right now."  Carter pointed out, placing her hand on Thor's forehead.  "And he's getting worse, Sir."

                "Right.  Idea's?"  I looked around at blank faces.  

                "What about the stasis chambers that the Asgard have?"  Daniel suggested.  "You know, like the one you used when the Replicator's tried to invade earth?"

                "And do you see one around here?"  I asked, swinging my head around.  It was a good idea, and it had helped Thor the last time he'd looked this bad.  But as to where we went to get one of those doo-hickeys, I had no idea.

                "I believe I saw a medical chamber on our previous reconnaissance, O'Neill."  Teal'c said, the strode out of the room.  I cast my eyebrows up in surprise, then gathered the thin frame of Thor in my arms and followed, at a much slower pace.

                "Teal'c?"  I yelled, catching his attention.  "Less speed, more haste, buddy."  I advised him.  He waited until I caught up, then set off again, at a slower pace.  I glanced back and saw the rest of the party was following us.  Pied Piper, indeed.  Teal'c led us to a chamber that I hadn't seen before and we stood there, all of us gathered inside a large room that was pretty much bare.

                "How do you know this is a medical chamber, Teal'c?"  Daniel asked, pushing his glasses up his nose and looked around.  Probably for some sort of writing or markings.

                "Because it says so on the outer doorway, DanielJackson."  Teal'c told him.  I swear, the man was laughing in his own non-displayish way.

                "Oh."  Daniel looked sheepish.

                "Okay, then people.  Find this stasis chamber thingy so we can fix Thor up."  Carter, Teal'c and Daniel jumped to, and after a nod from Serien, the rest of the group started looking as well.

                "Got it." Niall said, pressing down on something on the far wall.  Out popped a familiar looking chamber, the upper edge of it connected to the wall by long thing wires of some description.  I moved forward and placed the little alien on the padded bed, then stepped back.

                "Anyone know how to program one of these?"

                "I do, sir.  Thor taught me how before, last time he was in one of these."  She hesitated, looking at the thin wires.  "Do we want to keep him connected?  I know how to set up a stand-alone chamber."  I nodded at her suggestion, and Carter unplugged the chamber from the wall, then pressed a few symbols and suddenly the chamber was sealed, lights flashing gently.

                "So, now what?"  Serien asked, after a few minutes of light watching.  I looked around, assessing my own body and the attitude of my team.

                "Rest.  We need to get some shut-eye and food.  Back to the main chamber for some dinner.  Teal'c, bring Thor."  I ordered, walking back out of the chamber.

Food consisted of pretty much the same substances as the last time we'd eaten here. Roast beast, fruit and drinks.  After a few minutes of explaining the food to the others, we started eating and hashing out theories.  Sifu was the traitor?  Nope, but keep it in mind.  Thor was a double agent who wanted to take over the universe with a really big ray gun.  No, Teal'c, and no more James Bond movies for you.  Odin was actually a goa'uld dressed up.  Ah, Niall?  No more beer, okay?  Loki was plotting Thor's downfall.

                "Now that's a more likely synopsis."  I agreed.  "Loki, or someone equally likely to benefit from Thor's downfall is trying to frame the poor guy."

                "By framing us?"  Daniel frowned at me.

                "Discredit his allies, discredit him."  I pointed out.

                "Good point."  Serien noted.  He sipped at his juice, frowning at the slight tang of the fresh oranges.  That reaction wasn't quite as good as his reaction to being given a plate full of brussell sprouts.  Seems the taste is hated universally, not just on planet Earth.  Teal'c has a wicked sense of humour some days.

                "So aside from Loki, who would benefit from Thor's being discredited?"  I turned to our local expert.

                "Ahh, pretty much everyone other than Odin, Jack.  Thor is second on the council.  Anyone below that would benefit.  Frig, Odin's wife, would benefit perhaps if she were aligned with someone else."

                "Isn't Frig Thor's mother?"  I asked.

                "Not necessarily.  And not according to Viking legend.  They generally didn't concentrate on just who was the mother of the stronger Asgard.  To be honest, I have no idea who Thor's mother was.  But aside from Frig, you'd have Freyr, Freya, Loki.  Pretty much the entire Asgard community."

                "Sifu?"  Arwew asked.

                "Sure.  Just because they're married doesn't guarantee loyalty."

                "So we can't go to anyone for help."  I surmised, glaring at the floor between my feet.  "Great.  All alone, as per usual."

                "Yes, but at least we're all alone on another planet.  Far away from home.  With no way of getting back.  And our driver is unconscious in a status chamber – someone stop me, please."   Daniel pleaded.  I grinned, a small chuckle trickling through my mouth.

                "Okay, we need to be fresh to think about this.  We'll tackle this again after that.  Teal'c, you take first shift.  Carter, you second.  I'll take third shift, and Daniel you can take last.  Two hours each, no more."  I stood up and looked around the room, trying to find some sort of light switch.  "How the hell do you turn the lights off in here?"  Serien, who'd been ordering his team in a similar fashion as I had, turned around and grinned, rattling of some sort of Asgard phrase.  Suddenly, the lights went out and we were in relative darkness.  Well, less light, anyway.

                "Night John Boy."  I called as I settled down on my chosen couch, cushions piled under my head.  I heard a giggle and knew it was Carter.

                "Night, Mary Ellen."  She replied through her giggles.

                "No giggling."  I whispered, and laughed when she snorted.  The laughed became muffled, and I pictured her smothering her face in a cushion to repress the giggles.

                "Jack."  Daniel grumbled.

                "Right.  Sorry, dad."  I grumbled back, still grinning.  I think I must have fallen asleep grinning.  I have no idea why.  Perhaps it was because I could still hear Carter snorting quietly to herself from the other couch.  
  



	9. FUBAR'd

Unity Chapter 9 FUBAR'ed AA: (Acronyms Abound) A/N: FYI - SOP = standard operating procedure.  
  
The one thing I hate more than a broken night's sleep on another planet, surrounded by unknown enemies with no way of getting home - and no idea who you can trust - is being awoken after such a night's sleep, suddenly and violently, as the world literally shakes itself apart. Now I'll admit, this doesn't tend to happen all that often. In fact, in my life this has happened all of once.  
  
This morning.  
  
About fifty minutes ago to be exact. Just twenty minutes after Carter had returned from her watch. I knew this because I'd spent those twenty minutes listening to her relax back into sleep. She - like me - takes time to relax into her sleep pattern. So there we were, both of us listening to the other breathe - and I'm sure she was relishing the silent communication as much as I was - when the world fell apart beneath us. There was an almighty crack, a shuddering groan that almost deafened me, and then I seemed to be on a Disney-World ride. Without the benefit of a safety-belt.  
  
"What the f-" I cried out, staggering off my makeshift bed.  
"Serien?" I looked to the leader of the other team, who looked back at me looking just as shocked and confused.  
"Earthquake!" Sam suddenly yelled.  
"Sir, we need to get out of this building!" I of course, trusted Carter's advise implicitly and nodded. Which is how we found ourselves here. A nice night by the bonfire. Of course, the bonfire just happened to be Thor's old house. And the nice night was actually frigidly cold, our breath steaming out in large clouds around us. Borlois was limping, his sprained ankle an impediment to any kind of speedy evacuation. Serien was placing some sort of alien bandage over the foot, immobilising it for the time-being.  
"What the hell do we do now?" Daniel asked, standing beside me and watching with me as Thor's house was razed to the ground. I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to voice what we had to do.  
"We have to go back in, once the fire's out. Thor's still in there. Well, his body is, anyway. We have no weapons, no food, no means of transport. We're stuck on this rock until we can get a taxi home and our only trustworthy ally is more than likely a crispy-critter-"  
"Jack!"  
"General!"  
"O'Neill." My team reprimanded me simultaneously.  
"Sorry, guys. Didn't mean that the way it came out. Right now though, we need to get warm. None of us is going to last long out here."  
"Why not get closer to Thor's place?" Arwew suggested. We all looked at her and she shrugged in response.  
"The earthquake seems to have dissipated, and it is a fire. Warmth." Serien nodded his head, agreeing and I didn't have the care- factor to argue.  
  
~~~o0o~~~  
  
I suppressed my need to joke, manfully biting back a comment about marshmallows, as we all sat huddled by the remains of Thor's house. We were at what would have been the side of the building, had any of it still been standing. The fire raged tenaciously, lighting our faces in a ruddy orange glow. It looked amazing on Sam. On Teal'c and Daniel, well they just looked sunburned. I coughed to get my thoughts back on business at hand and rubbed my forehead. The headache I'd woken up with was getting worse. But I wasn't going to complain, I could have not woken up at all. Which would have been much worse.  
"Sir." Carter half whispered. I turned to look at her profile. Eyes in shadow, the blue peering out dimly from beneath her sooty eyelashes. Lips chapped slightly from the cold and smoke, nose smudged with ash. Stunning.  
"Sir, I don't think this was an earthquake after all."  
"Why not?' Daniel replied, looking at both of us.  
"Well.I've been in an earth quake before. I hadn't really thought about it until now, but this was something different." "What is that, ColonelCarter?" Teal'c asked, coming out of his Kel'no'reem suddenly.  
"Have you ever been stood above a subway when a train goes through?" She asked Daniel and myself, excluding the aliens who obviously hadn't had that opportunity.  
"Sure. You can feel it in your bones." Daniel said.  
"And you hear it. A kind of sub-rumble, like background noise. But subterranean. Right?"  
"Yeah." Daniel agreed.  
"Well, earthquakes have the same kind of rumble. Only much louder, much more powerful. When an earthquake rumbles, the window's rattle. Your bones shudder. Then you get the actual noise of the quake. This didn't happen that way. I heard a loud crack, then a deep rumble."  
"So did I." Arwew piped up, making it obvious they'd all been listening in to the conversation.  
"Right. So, even though we're on a different planet, physics dictates that something like an earthquake would react the same, no matter where we were. Even if we were on the moon, you'd get the rumble before the crack, as it were."  
"So?" Daniel asked. I was going to say the same thing, but my head was pounding and I didn't like the thought of actually speaking.  
"So I think this was artificial. Some kind of.attack. Probably terrorist in nature, trying to either scare us, or get rid of us."  
"Assassination?" Nyuil put in. He'd sat slightly away from his team- mates, hands propped on his upraised knees and face turned towards the dwindling flames.  
"Could be. We have no way of knowing."  
"We need to find a way." I decided, standing up. "It's time to do some recon, scout out the area. Split into four teams. One of us, one of you." I spoke to Serien, but my orders were to all seven of them. They obeyed like good little soldiers. "Stay within sight of the house." We all glanced at the glowing ruins. "And I want everyone back here in two hours. Carter, you go that way. Daniel, that way. T, you go over there and I'll go this way. Partner up, people." Seconds later we'd split into four teams of two, scattering into the trees in opposing directions.  
  
~~~o0o~~~  
  
I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally returned to the rest of the group, Arwew in tow. My team had all returned, and with them their scouting partners. I sat down beside Daniel and looked at the rest of the group.  
"Findings? Carter?"  
"Nothing, General." She replied.  
"Serien and I scouted to the south of here. Lots of rabbit-type holes. Logs. Trees. Lots of trees." My team all smiled at that, including me. A little 'in' joke.  
"But nothing that would actually scream 'conspiracy theory'."  
"Same here, Jack. Trees and a river about half a click east of here. But that's it."  
"I regret to inform you that I also found nothing of interest in my foray in to the forest, O'Neill." Teal'c intoned, bowing his head slightly.  
"I did, however, manage to pursue some native fauna into a small ravine, not 800 meters from this position. Although there were no signs of. recent activity, I believe this could have been a likely hiding place for a person from which to observe us, or set off an event such as we experienced."  
"Is there a reason he speaks like that?" Nyuil half grumbled. Carter smiled at him, teeth glinting.  
"Believe it or not, you do get used to it." She reassured the alien. He grunted back disbelievingly. I didn't blame him. I cast a look at the razed house next to us and decided we could probably go in. Carefully.  
"Right. We need to find the stasis chamber, see if the Asgard built those things to survive .. that." I nodded my head, indicating the mess that had been Thor's house.  
"And then I think it's time we got proactive." We all stood up, Borlois hiding a wince and stumbling along after Teal'c. "Carter." I called to her. She hung back a second and started walking beside me. "Borlois had a sprained ankle, you say."  
"Yes, sir." She replied, also watching his progress.  
"Pretty good ambulatory rate, don't'cha think?"  
"Yes, sir." She repeated. We said nothing more, but continued on in silence. Great minds think alike and all that.  
  
We picked slowly through the blackened ruins, making our way back to where we thought the central chamber we'd all slept in should be. By the time we'd found it, our hands, clothes and most of our faces were covered in black soot. But we got there. And found Thor's stasis chamber intact.  
"Where the hell did he go?!" I yelled, flinging back the chamber lid and staring at the completely empty padding inside.  
"What?!" Daniel and Carter yelled, shoving me aside to look. "Holy Hannah!" Carter said softly. Then everything went white and bright at the same time. Asgard transporting device. I had enough time to identify that it was a transport device, before everything went from bright and white to dim and black. Very black, in fact. The unconscious kind. Damn. ~~~o0o~~~  
  
Ouch.  
  
Shit. That hurt. Maybe.. Nope, moving that way hurts as well. Okay note to self. Don't move head to the left or right. In fact, don't move head at all. Keep it still and maybe you can stay awake long enough to open your eyes.  
  
Nope. Damn..  
  
~~~o0o~~~  
  
"Sir?" The voice entered my mind abruptly, flinging me back into reality with a thud. And a groan.  
"Sir, can you hear me?"  
"Carter, enough with the pushing. It hurts." I groaned, then tried to move my head again. Success! This time I didn't pass out afterwards. That was always a good sign. I opened my eyes in a squint and stared up at the bruised face of my 2IC. Her blue eyes stared down at me, relief flaring in them before being covered by professional dignity.  
"What the hell happened?" I demanded, rolling onto my side and making my way slowly into a sitting position. I glanced around and saw the rest of our group scattered throughout the 'room'.  
"You know those missions that go really well? Where we get all our objectives completed without any sort of injury or incident?" Daniel said, staring at his cupped palms.  
"Yeah." I replied.  
"This would not be one of those." Teal'c announced.  
"Right." I replied. And although no actual information had been given, I had everything I needed to know from that exchange. We were screwed. Imprisoned with no obvious means of escape. SOP, then.  
"Carter? Idea's?"  
"Not a one, sir. I looked at what I thought was the door way, but it turned out to be some kind of fungi that was growing along the perpendicular crack in the wall. Far as I can see, there is no way out."  
"Well no way out, no way in. That's a bonus for us, then." I replied with a small smile that she returned half heartedly.  
"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Arwew almost screamed, pushing herself up the wall to a standing position, face red with anger.  
"We've been captured and imprisoned by Gods know who, and there isn't any means of escape. We've been knocked unconscious and as far as any of us know, could be stuck here for the rest of our lives. And you four have the time to laugh?!"  
"Ah." She seemed angry. I cast a look at Sam, who was staring at Arwew dumbly, blinking.  
"This is sort of ." I started,  
"A regular occurrence-" Daniel assisted,  
"In our line of employment." And Teal'c finished.  
"We get this a lot." Sam added with an apologetic smile.  
"We find that if you panic or get emotional about it, it just wastes energy and brain power. So we don't do it anymore."  
"Besides, it's not as much fun." I added.  
"This is kind of a first for us." Serien admitted almost guiltily.  
"Wow. You're doing pretty well then." I replied, then stood up with a groan, ignoring the pops as my knee's cracked into place. "Right. Assessment."  
"Asgard transportation. So more than likely someone either has good contacts, or an Asgard had a hand in this." Daniel supplied.  
"The bruising and discomfort signify that at some point, there was physical contact of an abrupt and violent nature." Teal'c added, looking pointedly at Carter's face. Actually, that was a point.  
"Carter? You okay? You don't look so hot." I asked her, coming closer. She smiled, winced and then nodded, as she held a hand up to her bruised lip.  
"Yeah. Woke up with them. It's not too bad - it just aches." She dismissed the injuries - and the concern - and I let her. Anywhere but on a mission and there was no way she would get away with being 'macho'. But we simply didn't have the time or the facilities for me to get protective and 'henny', as the rest of my team liked to call it. I didn't argue. They were right.  
"Anyone else got problems they want to report?" I asked the room at large. Grunts of dissent abounded.  
"Good. So, have we done a search of this room? Any idea where this light is coming from?"  
"I was thinking, General." Carter said musingly, staring around at the grey walls. "When we first met Thor's Race in the Hall of Might, the Asgard tested us with illusions. Very real illusions that tested our fears and mental capacity. We had the Pi test."  
"Pie?"  
"As in the number, sir - 3.1415 not apple pie. But before that we had to cross a chasm on a very thin bridge."  
"Oh!" Daniel suddenly burst out, eyes going wide behind his glasses.  
"Oh, what?" I asked, when he said nothing else for a few seconds.  
"What? Oh. Sorry." He replied, after staring blankly at me for a second. "We're not actually here." Daniel then told us. Not surprisingly, there was a period of disbelieving silence after that little announcement.  
"Actually, Dr Jackson, I think we are." Borlois replied, rapping his knuckles against the wall behind him. Daniel shook his head again.  
"We're not. This is like. an illusion. A really good one, but it's still just an illusion. More than likely there is a door. Maybe even a couple of guards outside, looking in. But what we see is different. And so convincing, that if this room were to fill with water, we'd all drown."  
"In an illusion." Serien raised his eyebrows derisively.  
"Yes." Daniel's head was nodding enthusiastically, the glasses bouncing slightly on the bridge of his nose.  
"Sure." Arwew scoffed.  
"Actually, he's telling the truth. In the illusion we experienced before, our friend fell off a very thin ledge and was hanging down below the floor. When the illusion was taken away, there was no hole, no area for her to fall down. But she had been. It was so convincing, so encompassing, that somehow our bodies were able to react as though it were real."  
"So how does this help us?" I asked.  
"Well, if it's an illusion, something has to be generating it. All we have to do is find it and shut it off." Carter suggested. We all looked around the blank room.  
"We shouldn't be using our eyes." Serien suddenly realised. I looked at him in confusion. "Think about it. If your team is right, using your eyes only strengthens this illusion. We need to use other senses. Touch. Smell. Sound. Everything but our eyesight."  
"Of course!" Daniel exclaimed. I agreed, it made sense. So we went around, hands out to the walls, eyes tightly shut, feeling our way around the room slowly and carefully. If nothing else it was keeping us entertained, and more than likely keeping anyone who happened to be watching entertained as well. If there was anyone watching us. The Asgard tend to be very arrogant about their technological prowess. Which often gave us a distinct advantage. Because we weren't arrogant and never assumed anything when it came to new technologies. To put it simply, we had a lot of 'stupid' idea's - as Thor had once told us. And to be honest, walking around a cell with our eyes shut, didn't mark up there with the world's brightest idea's.  
"Got it!" Nyuil yelled out suddenly. Okay, so not the world's brightest idea's but sometimes they worked.  
"Good. Where?" I opened my eyes to see Carter walking over to him, then close her eyes as she stood next to him and place her hands over his. Which had disappeared through one of the cell walls. I walked up to them and put my hand against the wall, tapping my fingers on the hard surface. The hard surface that both Nyuil and Carter were now busy working beneath. It was a very disturbing sight.  
"Almost. Nyuil, twist that bit to the left just a fraction." Carter muttered, eyes tight shut and face impassive as she dealt with whatever it was she was dealing with, behind this illusion thingy. "Good, now just... there." She opened her eyes just as the illusion dropped.  
"Oh, this is much better." My voice dripped with mockery, looking around in stunned disbelief. This just couldn't be possible.  
  
Could it? 


	10. Ichi Wawa

Authors Note:  Warning, warning!  Proceed with caution……  You may not like where I take this chapter.  

Rating:  R – for swearing.  Jack is not a happy camper.

_Previously on Unity, Chapter 9_

_"Oh, this is much better."  My voice dripped with mockery, looking around in stunned disbelief.  This just couldn't be possible._

_Could it?_

Unfortunately yes, it could.  I stared at the all to familiar hieroglyphs on the golden walls in front of me, feeling the dread curl up in the base of my spine, sending tingling ripples through my body.

            "Oh crap." I heard Daniel say softly, staring just as I was at the walls.  Walls of a goa'uld Mothership.  

            "Does anyone care to explain this to me?"  I tapped one of the walls and felt it's solid weight against my knuckles.  This was not good.

            "What is this?"  Borlois asked, looking around the room.

            "This is a goa'uld Mothership." Teal'c told the four of them, standing at ease with his hands clasped behind his back.  "This vessel is used for long range reconnaissance and travel between Goa'uld stronghold planets.  However, I am currently unaware of the owner of this particular vessel."  Borlois, Nyuil, Arwew and Serien all stared at him in disbelief.

            "A goa'uld vessel!?"  Nyuil exclaimed in dismay.  "What the hells are we doing in one of those?  And why is it here?"

            "That's what I'd like to find out."  I replied, then nodded to Carter to try opening the door.  She tapped out the sequence of crystals and to our absolute amazement, the door hissed open without so much as a hint of protest.  My team (me included) all raised surprised eyebrows at the door, but rather than argue, we quickly slipped out of the cell and hid behind the oh-so-convenient pillars that lined the corridor.   I gestured for Carter and Daniel to cross to the other side of the corridor, motioning for Arwew and Nyuil to follow them.  The four dashed quickly across to the other pillars, hiding behind them in the same way we were hiding behind ours.  I peeked out and with a few hand signals told Carter that we were heading out to our left, to find some sort of weapons and a way out or an indication of where we were.  

Well, I said we were going left.  I just hope that she understood my motives for moving.  We'd all worked together for so long now, that generally we could all predict just what the other was going to say.  Anticipate their moves.  It made covert missions significantly easier.  We shuffled along from pillar to pillar until Carter's group found another room that looked promising.  Teal'c, Serien, Borlois and I  scuttled across to join the other four and we ducked inside the room.

            "This is not good."  Daniel breathed as we stared at the sight before us.  I'd thought waking up in an Asgard prison was bad.  I'd thought the Asgard illusion being dismantled to show a Goa'uld prison was worse.  But this topped the cake.

-o0o-

            "Isn't this supposed to be, oh I don't know, illegal or something?"  I whined.

            "Ahh."  Serien glanced at me, unsure how to respond.

            "Sir, just because we've never seen this before doesn't mean it hasn't been possible."  Carter whispered to me.  I glanced away from the sight below me, and frowned at Carter.  

            "Colonel, that Asgard is a goa'uld."  I whispered back, nodding my head in the direction of the people below us.  We had entered into some sort of antechamber, high up in the ship, and were looking down at several people.  There were about twenty Jaffa – all of whom looked completely normal, 'x' marks on their stomach and everything.  The only difference was the guy who was sitting in the 'captain's chair' was an Asgard.  He was grey (big surprise there) and thin, but his eyes shone with that signature glow that marked all goa'uld.  And on his hand was a smaller ribbon device, fitting his thin fingers perfectly.  He was speaking to what I can only assume was his Head Jaffa in goa'uld dialect, his voice the thundering echo that defined a goa'uld in habitant.

            "How the hell did that happen?"  Daniel still sounded shocked.  

            "I have no idea."  I gestured for them all to retreat and we crept out into the corridor again.  "This changes things."  I told them, thinking rapidly.  Carter and Teal'c nodded their heads in agreement.  "First, we need to find out who that guy is, second, we need to find out who's working for him.  Third, we need to notify someone about this, preferably Hammond.  Fourth, we need to get out of this ship before we're caught."  I turned to Serien.  "We're gonna have to split up.  Carter, Daniel, take Serien and company and see if you can find a way out of here.  Teal'c and I are going to see if we can figure out who this guy is, and have a little fun with them as well.  I want you to notify the General of what's going on here. Damn!  How the hell are we supposed to talk to him? That device thingy at Thor's is probably cactus."

            "I'll find another one."  Carter said confidently.  

            "Good.  Serien, I need you to notify your homeworld.  They need to know about this as well.  The threat of a goa'uld with an Asgard host is significant.  We can't trust them now.  Any of them.  We'll rendezvous in"  I checked my watch, "three hours at Thor's place, where we were before.  Go."  Carter nodded, and the six of them ran off quietly.  I felt a brief pang, but supressed it and turned back to business.  That pang was not something I could deal with right now.    Teal'c, who had been sitting with one ear to the door, turned to look as I knelt down beside him, wincing as my knees complained.

            "They are discussing provisioning, both weapons and sustenance at this point in time, O'Neill.  I am most concerned.  The quantities they are discussing are most significant."

            "Invasion?"

            "Perhaps.  This is something that should not come about, O'Neill.  A goa'uld with access to Asgard technology would be most difficult to conquer."  Teal'c.  The master of understatement.

            "Any idea's just how we do that, when we have no weapons or C4 at hand?"

            "Of that I am uncertain.  However, we must attempt it."

            "I know.  But first, let's see what else we can find out."  I crept forward on my stomach and inched my head over the edge, stretching flat and listening for all I was worth.  Within minutes I had what I needed and I backed up, into Teal'c who had been standing guard.  Okay, so he was technically _sitting_ guard. I gestured for him to follow and we ran along the corridor, hiding behind the pillars as guards patrolled past us.  

For the umpteenth time since we'd opened the stargate and ventured forth, I blessed the arrogance of the gao'uld and their tactics of intimidation.  Sure, the metallic clunk of boots hitting the floor was rather intimidating.  But it was also the complete opposite of stealthy, covert, quiet even.  Which gave Teal'c and I ample time to duck for cover before being seen.  Of course none of us had ever mentioned the benefits of their loud approach.  It would be just our luck to mention it and then find that they changed tactics and became stealthy.  So we stayed quiet.  While they… didn't.  

Door after door led to cargo areas or storage rooms.  We even found an Asgard bathing room/convinience room.  Trust me when I say that the last thing you want to do is visit the ammenities in an Asgard ship.  Thor had retrofitted a human toilet to his ship for us, and after a brief glance around at their bathroom, I was more than glad.  Both Teal'c and I managed to manfully supress shudders as closed the door.

            "I think we're on the wrong level."  I said finally, after closing the door on the latest cargo room.

            "I believe you are correct, O'Neill."  Teal'c replied.  We both headed for the tube that would take us to a lower level, dodging and weaving patrols as we did so.

-o0o-

            "Now this is more like it."  I breathed as we stared at our treasuretrove.  In front of us  Jaffa darted about like ants (very large ants, I'll admit, but ants all the same), each one going about his job silently.  Some fiddled with the wings of the crafts, while others did something inside the cockpit of the glyders.

            "Those are not death glyders."  Teal'c breathed back to me.  I nodded my head.  Whatever we were looking at had once been death glyders, but they'd been changed, incorporating what I could only guess was Asgard technology.  I cast a fleeting scowl back through time to when I'd dismissed Carter, ordering her off the ship.  If only I'd know that we'd need her assistance.

            "Any ideas?"  I asked Teal'c quietly, watching the Jaffa.

            "I regret that I do not at this time."  He replied, studied the hybrid craft intently.  "However, from the looks of the central panel, we may still be able to fly one of these."

            "Cool.  So Lord Ichi Wawa is intent on invading the Asgard home planet."  It was the name I'd overheard earlier, when I'd listened in to the goa'uld's conversation.

            "His name is Kinich Ahau, O'Neill."

            "That's what I said.  We need to find a weekness.  But first, we need to get out of here.  Our absence is bound to be noticed soon, and our luck can't hold for much longer."

            "You are quite correct, Colonel O'Neill."  A voice grated behind me.  I dropped my head to the floor in frustration, then rolled over on to my back.  Ichi Wawa and his friends were standing behind us, the Jaffa holding staff weapons that were aimed at us and the goa'uld glaring at us from behind his ribbon device.

            "Actually I've been promoted." I corrected him, going as always with bravado.  "It's now General O'Neill."  I smiled as the ribbon device activated, then winced in pain.  Then I'm pretty sure I blacked out.  But as I was unconscious at the time, I'm not too sure.

-o0o-

Ouch.

-o0o-

Deja View.   All over again.  I groaned and rolled over, placing a hand to my head to check the burn that accompanied all ribbon experiences. I winced away from the pain, but continued to check relieved when it didn't seem to be blistering, eyes shut to concentrate fully on the touch of my fingers.

            "General O'Neill."  A voice to my left announced.  I jumped, eyes opening as I looked towards the voice.

            "Thor?"  I asked, seeing the now awake and seemingly well Asgard sitting a few feet away, resting against the wall with his feet up and knees bent.  It was the most relaxed pose I'd ever seen him in.

            "Indeed.  I apologise for the accommodations, but it seems that we have a traitor within our midst."  Thor bowed his head, and I heard beneath the benevolent tones that all Asgard used, a severe displeasure.  It gave me a hint of just how this little guy had become Supreme High Commander of the Asgard Fleet.  I watched him suspiciously.  If Ichi Wawa was a goa'uld, then there was no telling who else could be one.  "You must relax, O'Neill.  I am not a traitor to the Asgard.  It is unfortunate that Su-linn has been overcome by the goa'uld Kinich Ahau, however not all of us have been compromised."

            "How do I kow that?" 

            "Because I cannot feel the presence of a goa'uld other than my own, O'Neill."  Teal'c whispered from across the room.  I hadn't even noticed him, lying in the shadows.  I jumped up and went over to him quickly, helping him sit up.  I could smell the tang of blood in the air and heard him suck in a quick breath as he sat up.

            "T?"

            "They required my presence for questioning, O'Neill.  It did not go well."  Teal'c had been tortured.  Again.  I ground my teeth.  The guy had withstood so much in his life, and we just kept getting him into even more trouble.

            "You okay?"

            "I will be fine, O'Neill.  Please continue your discussion with Thor."  I turned back to the Asgard, who had followed my movements with his eyes and head, the rest of his body remaining motionless.

            "Thor?  What happened?"

            "I was involved in a High Council meeting after leaving your presence.  After several hours, we were informed that the Tau'ri visitors had managed to plant a Suni-we device and the resulting explosion had caused many deaths and much injury.  I, along with Freyr and Su-linn, protested your innocence.  We were given the opportunity to investigate the explosion, and after much deliberation and exploration, it was discovered that the attack had been set up to discredit your team.  I returned to my place of residence to advise you of this."

            "That's when you collapsed?"

            "Yes.  Kinich Ahau had infected me with a mortal toxin that worked rapidly.  Had it not been for your very quick thinking, I would now be dead."

            "Let me guess, the toxin that you were infected with was Earth based?"

            "Indeed.  It is a substance known by your people as lavender.  Extremely dangerous to the Asgard physiology.  When I once again awoke, I was held in this chamber, and Kinich Ahau was standing over me, gloating.  It was then that I realised that he had been working secretly to discredit both my efforts in garnering a treaty with the Tau'ri, and trying to discredit SG-1 in the process.  Unfortuantely my knowledge came too late to help the rest of your team."

            "My team?"  My stomach dropped to my boots.  Daniel.  Carter.

            "I am afraid I became involuntary witness to their deaths, General O'Neill."  The world disappeared.  I felt the blood rush from my head, pooling in my stomach as a knot of dread.

            "No.  You are mistaken." I heard Teal'c deny, from somewhere far off.  Part of me agreed with him. They weren't dead.  They couldn't be dead.  I would know, wouldn't I?

            "I regret to inform you that I am not.  That is the sole reason why I was permitted to remain here while you awoke.  Both Colonel Carter and Dr Daniel Jackson were killed before my eyes, their bodies destroyed beyond identification.  The four others accompanying them also perished, at the hands of the lead Jaffa unit.  I apologize for having to tell you such sad news, but there was no way that I could continue to remain mute on this subject."

            "Did they suffer?" Teal'c again.

            "Yes."  In that one word was a wealth of misery.  And it was that one word that finally shattered me.

            "You sons of BITCHES!"  I roared, attacking the cell bars mindlessly, screaming out obscentities at the top of my lungs.  "I'm going to rip your guts out for this, you heartless, scum-sucking bastard!"  I kicked and wrenched at the bars, screaming and yelling as I did so.  I was unaware of the majority of what I was saying, just as I was unaware of the tears that had started leaking, trailing down my face, burning my skin.

            "O'Neill."  I felt a hand grab my upper-arm and I whirled on my attacker, striking him in the belly before going for a knee-cap.  He blocked my kick and grabbed me bodily, hugging me close and immobilising me.  "O'Neill you must desist.  This is not helping our situation."  A voice rumbled in my ear.  Abruptly, my vision cleared and I was back in control.  I relaxed in his hold, letting my head drop down and gently disengaging my hands from their death grip around his wrist.  Teal'c let me go slowly and stepped back.

            "I'm sorry."  I told him, looking away from the other two occupants of the cell.  I felt a cold calm come over me, the very opposite of the rage that I'd experienced just seconds before.  I welcomed it, embraced it. The cold would help me, would help us.  It would freeze me, and that was a good thing.  "Where are we?"

            "We are still within the bounds of the mother ship, from what I could see.  As far as I am aware, we are not in transit."

            "Thor?"

            "This ship is in orbit on the otherside of the planet to our main city, Valhalla.  Any information other than tha, I am unaware of."  I nodded in reply, and walked calmly to the cell bars, scanning the edges of our cell.  After a few minutes, I sat down well away from my other two in-mates and stared silently at the floor.  Opportunity would knock.  

And it did, less than an hour later.  I looked up when I heard the clang on the cell bars, and then stood up as a Jaffa unlocked the door and swung inside.    I stepped forward abruptly, stepping inside his shooting range next to his staff-weapon.  I reached up almost casually and snapped his neck with both hands.  I grabbed his falling body, held it against me as a shield and reached for the zat at his hip at the same time, firing as I raised the weapon and disabling the three guards who were standing outside the cell, almost frozen with shock.  I don't think they'd expected us to fight back.  I let the dead Jaffa fall to the floor and then hit the three guards with the zat again, killing them.  Within thirty seconds, I'd neutralised the guard party and we were free.  

            "Move."  I barked at Teal'c and Thor.  I didn't wait for them, just picked up the staff weapon and headed out.  There was a long corridor, narrow and full of shadow.  I ran quickly along it, hearing Teal'c and Thor behind me.  I stopped and crouched as I neared a corner, then quickly dove out and fired the staff weapon at the two guards who were standing in place around the corner.  I then picked up the zat and got rid of the bodies.  Again, we started running, towards the sections of the ship I knew contained rings and transporters.  Our recon earlier helped us now, and for that I was grateful.

            A body dove into me, knocking both weapons out of my hands without warning.  I grappled with the jaffa, gaining a grip on his uniform and swinging him around my body.  We wrestled on the floor, trading punches and blows.  I heard Teal'c ready his zat, but knew he couldn't fire without hitting me.  I rolled the Jaffa again, and this time I ended up on top.  I beat at him with my fists until he groaned, collapsing into uncionsiousness.  I stopped, stood up and wiped some blood off my face.  Not all of it was mine.

            "Bring him."  I instructed.  Teal'c did as I commanded, without argument.  Thor followed behind silently.  We reached the ring-room without further incidence and I jerked my head in the direction of the rings, pressing the sequence of buttons on the wall to activate them.  Within seconds we were on the ground and running away from the ship, Teal'c and I between us carrying the knocked out Jaffa.


	11. Changing moods

We stopped running after a few minutes to get our bearings. Thor looked around,   
  
panting slightly through his small mouth, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I looked   
  
away, into the forest beyond us.  
  
"This way." He said, the first words since we'd left the cell. I followed the   
  
little grey alien, the still unconscious Jaffa's feet held in my hands. Teal'c followed   
  
me, holding the man's shoulders.  
  
"We need more weapons." I called to Thor. He looked back at me.  
  
"That would not be a good idea, O'Neill. The council decreed that until you   
  
were cleared of any kind of suspicion in regards to the explosion, you should remain   
  
unarmed, within my hall." Thor continued to walk. I stopped, the icy calm turning to   
  
murderous rage in an instant - I wondered briefly whether Thor would ever know how   
  
close I came to snapping his neck.  
  
"Listen, Thor. You brought us here to help you with your political shit. You   
  
leave us to our own devices, we get framed for murdering a whole lot of your people,   
  
get attacked, the building blows up in front of us, we get kidnapped and then two of   
  
my team mates die, and you have the fucking nerve to tell us that we're supposed to   
  
go along with whatever the Asgard High fucking Council wants? You can tell your   
  
buddies that they can stick their high council so high up their as-"  
  
"O'Neill." Teal'c stopped me from going any further. I could sense the   
  
discomfort in his voice and I knew it wasn't so much the words I'd used - he was   
  
used to that kind of outburst from me - as the tone of voice, that disturbed him. It was   
  
flat, dead, without emotion and I knew it un-nerved him. I sneered and bit my lip. I   
  
tasted blood and it felt good, centred me once more. I took a deep breath and tried   
  
again.  
  
"We need more weapons, or we're never going to defeat your friend up there."   
  
I said calmly. That would have to do. It wasn't emotion, but it wasn't a lack of it   
  
either. And that was as close as I was going to get. Thor watched me for a few more   
  
seconds, then nodded his head once.  
  
"This way." He said again, and led us off in a new direction.  
  
-o0o-  
  
Thor led us into a small cave entrance that was surrounded by purple and orange   
  
vines. The entrance was very small - even for Thor. For Teal'c it was a very tight   
  
squeeze. Luckily it opened up into a large cavern that was lit by some sort of glowing   
  
liquid that had been painted on the walls. I didn't ask, because I didn't want to know   
  
and I didn't care. Thor led us to the rear of the cavern, placed his hand on the wall,   
  
and it opened up, like a door. Inside was some sort of storage facility.  
  
"The Asgard, after discovering the advantage your people had over the   
  
replicators with projectile weapons, have been developing our own style of weaponry   
  
based upon yours. This is where most of the research rejections have been stored."  
  
"Rejects?"  
  
"We found that they were not powerful enough to destroy significant numbers   
  
of replicators. However, I believe that they will suit your current intentions   
  
perfectly."  
  
"Good. Teal'c, grab some." I turned and exited the storage facility, heading   
  
back into the cold cavern. I stared blankly at the opposite wall until I heard a small   
  
scuffing noise beside me. I looked to see Thor standing, staring up at me.  
  
"O'Neill, I must again apologise for your loss."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." I told him evenly. I couldn't deal with this   
  
right now. Not and keep control. Once upon a time my 'cold place' had been   
  
impenetrable. Once the glass came down, that was it until the mission was done. But   
  
it wasn't something I'd had to use in a very long time and it seemed my control of it   
  
was tenuous at best. I walked out. I saw Teal'c approach Thor and speak quietly to   
  
him as I walked out. But somehow, considering everything, I just didn't care. After a   
  
few moments, the other two walked up and stood beside me.  
  
"I want to talk to your council. All of them." My tone brooked no argument.   
  
Thor looked at me for a long moment, then nodded his head, eyes closing briefly as he   
  
did so. He wasn't going to argue. Good. There was a flash of light, and once again   
  
we were in the council chambers, only a tiny circle lit up around our feet, casting the   
  
rest of the room in dark shadow.  
  
"To what reason do you bring these Tau'ri into our presence, Thor?" An   
  
Asgard voice suddenly asked, from behind me.  
  
"It was at General O'Neill's request that I bring both him and the Jaffa Teal'c   
  
before the High Council." Thor replied, un-cowed.  
  
"After our explicit instructions to confine the Tau'ri to your habitat? Thor,   
  
your defiance is not acceptable."  
  
"Fuck his defiance." I said calmly. I'd suddenly had enough of being ignored.   
  
In fact, I'd had enough of their whole political bullshit. I felt weary and heartsick. I   
  
was tired of it all. I wanted this Ichi Wawa guy's head on a plate and then I wanted to   
  
go home. To Earth. And blissful oblivion in the biggest bottle of bourbon I could find.   
  
"We've catered to you for long enough. Each and every time you guys have got   
  
yourselves into hot water, you've been after us to get you out of the fire." Yes, I was   
  
talking in clichés. But right now, that was the least of my concerns. "Even now, when   
  
our world is facing it's biggest test, it's biggest challenge, one of your Council   
  
members had no thought to pulling us out and dragging us millions of light years   
  
away to get involved in your internal politics. No 'if you please' or 'do you mind'.   
  
That high-handed attitude has got to end."  
  
"If you please, Tau'ri, we do not have time to listen to your minor criticisms."  
  
"My name," I grated in a very soft voice, and felt the chill fill the room, "is   
  
General Jack O'Neill. You will do well to remember it. And as for time, trust me,   
  
you have it. You sit there, trying to intimidate us with this interrogation tactic, all   
  
high and mighty with your fake superiority, and have the impudence to reprimand us   
  
for our attitude? Well guess what? We've had enough. No more bowing to your   
  
wishes. No more pandering to ridiculous demands. This pointless excursion has cost   
  
our world more than you could ever repay, and for that I personally will never forgive   
  
you."  
  
"Enough." The word was barked out impatiently.  
  
"Not it's fucking not enough. We're not some sort of instrument that you can   
  
use at your whim and discard at will! We are sentient beings, and as such should be   
  
treated equally. And until you learn to deal with us as equals, you can all go and   
  
screw yourselves backwards, as far as I'm concerned! I've had it with the lot of you."  
  
"General O'Neill." Thor said quietly beside me. I turned to let him have it,   
  
but Teal'c put a hand on my shoulder that silenced me. I was panting with emotion,   
  
the rage flooding through my veins once more - despite my best efforts - and setting   
  
them on fire.   
  
"I must put my support in with General O'Neill." Thor announced to the   
  
unseen Asgards. "We have used the Tau'ri unfairly during the last few encounters,   
  
utilizing their abilities, their 'stupid idea's', without regard to the safety of our allies,   
  
nor to their own wishes or crises. Aside from that, in the past few days I myself have   
  
been placed in jeopardy due to the manipulations of our political agenda by an   
  
unknown agent, and only the quick actions - once again - of our Tau'ri allies saved   
  
my life. It is time, my fellow Councillors, to admit that the Tau'ri are no longer an   
  
inferior species, but one worthy of our consideration and respect."  
  
"Right." I could feel the rage dwindling, receding once more now that I knew   
  
I was going to get what I wanted. And that was good. Because if I started to feel   
  
anything - even anger - right now I would lose it completely. And that was   
  
unacceptable. I needed the ice. I needed the cold. It was the only thing keeping me   
  
sane right now, and I knew it. Once the mission was over, then I could fall to pieces.   
  
Until then I had to keep it together and the only way I could do that was by keeping a   
  
lid on what I was feeling. All of it.  
  
"Thor." The lights suddenly came up, and I could see the other members of   
  
the High Council, all seated in a raise semi-circle, staring down at us. "You surprise   
  
and disappoint me." Odin said gently, sadly.  
  
"As do you, Father." Thor replied. "Aside from my wife and I, only one other   
  
person knew that I was going to Earth to retrieve SG-1." Thor turned his head to look   
  
at Loki. "Loki has been vocal in his dislike of my friendship with the Tau'ri, but at   
  
least he has been upfront about his disapproval. You however, Father, have not.   
  
General O'Neill, please explain to the Council what occurred in the last few hours,   
  
from when you discovered yourself aboard a Goa'uld vessel." I cast Thor a surprised   
  
look, but did as he told me. Several minutes later, after telling our tale - clearly,   
  
calmly, concisely for the most part - I came to a stop at the part of relating Daniel and   
  
Carter's deaths, as told to us by Thor, my throat constricted with emotion.  
  
"It was then that, with the assistance of your friend Teal'c and I, you escaped,   
  
was it not?" Thor prompted. I nodded back. Thor then looked at the Council   
  
Members. "The Goa'uld that O'Neill referred to as Lord Ichi Wawa is in fact Kinich   
  
Ahau. What he didn't say, could not say, was that Kinich Ahau has taken over the   
  
body of Su-linn. My biological mother, and Odin's mate."  
  
Shit.  
  
"I protest!" Odin cried in denial. His cry was frozen as some sort of Asgard   
  
device locked him in place. It looked like a stasis bubble or something like that. If   
  
Carter were here.... I cut the thought off brutally. I did not have time for that now.  
  
"We have wondered, for many years now, how the Goa'uld could have   
  
possible become so strong, and become such a force to reckon with. This is how. Su-  
  
linn and with no doubt, my father, have been working together to bring down the   
  
Asgard, the only race willing to go up against the Goa'uld. That is, of course, until   
  
SG-1 started to explore the galaxy. Now the Tau'ri are just as formidable a force as   
  
we are, in different ways. They alone have destroyed numerous System Lords. This   
  
mission that my Father sent me on was ... as the Tau'ri would say ... a frame job.   
  
General O'Neill and his friends were framed to discredit the Tau'ri. And it almost   
  
worked. Except Odin, who has never dealt with O'Neill, underestimated him once   
  
again."  
  
"How can we trust you?" Loki (I presumed) grumbled from the far right.  
  
"You can't. However, you can trust the evidence. There is a Goa'uld mother   
  
ship in orbit around our planet. It has been in orbit for many days."  
  
"We would detect such a craft." Another guy said.  
  
"No. For we are searching for Goa'uld signatures. This mother ship would   
  
have an Asgard signature. It would, and has, fooled us all." Thor cast a look at his   
  
father, still frozen in that device-thingy. If I could have felt anything, I would have   
  
felt sorry for him. His father was a traitor. It was not something a person took   
  
lightly.  
  
"You are correct." One of the council members said after a long pause. I   
  
guess they were checking their scanning things to see for Asgard ships in orbit.   
  
"There is an Asgard ship in orbit, one that is not supposed to be there. We will   
  
disable it at once."  
  
"No." I blurted out. I couldn't let that happen! Everyone in the room looked at   
  
me. Getting a grip, I turned what I knew was an icy gaze on the Asgard council. "I   
  
want to go in there and confront this bastard myself."  
  
"General O'Neill, there is much danger in what you request. I'm afraid I   
  
cannot allow it. It would jeopardise our treaty with the Tau'ri." Loki said. I detected   
  
that he was actually sincere in his fear. He may not like us, but it looked like he   
  
realised that we did actually do some good.  
  
I gave a bitter laugh. "To be honest, Loki, I don't give a shit. The mongrel   
  
dog killed two of my team, two of my friends, and as far as I know, killed the other   
  
four that we were working with. That isn't something I'm going to let go of easily.   
  
I'm taking this guy down myself."  
  
"With my help, O'Neill." Teal'c told me quietly.  
  
"Okay, we're taking this guy down ourselves. We only need some time.   
  
Beam us aboard and give us an hour. If we haven't contacted you by then, blow the   
  
damn thing up."  
  
"I am reluctant to accept your word on this, General O'Neill." Loki admitted.   
  
"I am reluctant to accept any of this."  
  
I sighed. "You know what? I really don't care whether you're reluctant or not.   
  
Unfreeze your buddy over there, let him bury himself. Meanwhile, someone beam me   
  
and Teal'c back up to that ship. You can argue amongst yourselves while we actually   
  
deal with the threat. As usual."  
  
"I do not like this-" Loki began, but before he could finish, there was a flash   
  
of bright light and the room disappeared. As my vision returned, I found that we were   
  
in some sort of cargo room. It looked vaguely familiar.  
  
"Dammit, some warning would have been nice." Teal'c grunted softly in   
  
agreement, then handed me one of the many weapons he had hanging on his body. I   
  
grasped it, finding the firing mechanism quickly with my fingers. It reminded me of a   
  
cross between a Luger and an AK-47. Bizarre, but powerful. Teal'c held up his   
  
bazooka look-a-like, and we walked for the door, prying it open slowly and I peered   
  
out, nodded back at Teal'c, and we made our way out of the cargo room.  
  
"Kinich Ahau is mine." I told Teal' c in a whisper. He nodded his head. I   
  
was glad he understood. It was something I didn't want to explain. Not even to   
  
myself.  
  
"Holy crap." I murmured as the smoke cleared, revealing the damage my little   
  
luger-47 (as I'd named it) had inflicted on the Jaffa regiment we'd come across. I'd   
  
pulled the trigger in a small burst, but the power behind the weapon was more than I'd   
  
anticipated and before I knew it, the entire regiment had been killed. I felt a brief   
  
sense of utter satisfaction wash over me, the only thing I allowed myself to feel, then I   
  
was numb again. Blessedly numb.  
  
"I am concerned about the power of the weapons that were not rejected by the   
  
Asgard developers." Teal'c said, staring along with me at the damage.  
  
"Mmm." I said, it was nice and non-committal. Personally, at that point I'd   
  
really have liked to put my hands on one of them. And use it on Kinich Ahau. I   
  
continued on, stepping over the smouldering, bleeding bodies, as if they weren't even   
  
there.  
  
We'd made our presence known now, and out the window went covert. Teal'c   
  
and I ran in spurts through the corridors, looking for Kinich Ahau or any of his -   
  
sorry, her - Kinich Ahau was in Su-linn, who was female - so we were looking for   
  
her, senior Jaffa. We weren't having much luck. We'd checked the main deck, where   
  
we'd seen her before. We'd checked the suites where she stayed. Nothing. Every   
  
now and then we'd come across a Jaffa patrol, but thanks to the luger-47 and Teal'c's   
  
new toy, they didn't stand much of a chance. Finally, I decided that we needed to   
  
split up. I didn't want Teal'c to know because he would have had something to say   
  
about it, but I wanted this bitch all to myself. She'd killed two members of my team.   
  
Two members of my family. My best friend and the woman I - no, I wasn't going   
  
there. Either way, she'd made it personal and she was gonna get what was coming to   
  
her. Jack O'Neill always repaid his debts.   
  
We came to a fork in the corridors, deep in the bowels of the ship. We had   
  
about ten minutes before the Asgard decided to destroy this thing. I gestured for   
  
Teal'c to take the right fork, and I took the left fork. I ran down my corridor quickly   
  
and silently, ears listening for any noise that would indicate another presence. As I   
  
turned a long rounding corner, I heard a soft cry from my left. I froze, breathing   
  
through my mouth as quietly and easily as I could, my heart beating gently in my ears.   
  
I heard it again. A soft cry. Of pain. I followed it's direction, my Asgard weapon in   
  
front of my chest, ready to fire. I found a door, hidden within the walls of the   
  
corridor. I felt around for a raised symbol that would open the door, and finding it,   
  
activated the mechanism. What greeted me when the door opened was a sight that   
  
would forever be burnt on my retina's.  
  
-o0o-  
  
It was Carter. God...it was Carter. As hard as it was, I didn't close my eyes and turn   
  
away. I couldn't. I wanted to, oh how I wanted to...but I couldn't. I felt the glass   
  
wall slipping. I ruthlessly stopped it. I couldn't afford to crack - not just yet. I   
  
stepped in to the room, my weapon aimed directly at the small chest of the Goa'uld   
  
before me.  
  
"You will back away from her. Now." Half of my mind was dealing with the   
  
fact that this appeared to be Carter. Alive. Thor had been wrong. The other half of   
  
my brain was dealing with the threat of the Goa'uld in front of me. That was the part   
  
that was still in control. For now. I'd never been so grateful for my ability to lock   
  
down emotion as I was right then. The Goa'uld was a threat that still needed to be   
  
dealt with and the glass wall gave me the perspective to allow me to do that. But it   
  
was cracking. I needed to finish this and quickly, before I fell to pieces. Kinich Ahau   
  
cast a quick look back at me, her mouth moving slightly in a small smile, and wielded   
  
her weapon once more.  
  
"I said. You will back away from her. NOW!" I all but roared. Carter hadn't   
  
even acknowledged my presence. Not that I expected her to. She was too far gone   
  
with pain, I could tell. Naked, covered from head to toe in blood and open wounds,   
  
her eyes were closed and her head was drooping low on her neck. Her arms had been   
  
strung out wide, and her legs were hanging free. She had been pretty much crucified.   
  
I turned my attention back to Kinich Ahau, eyes narrowing as I watched the Goa'uld.  
  
"Why would I do that, O'Neill?" She asked, eyes glowing as she turned back   
  
to me.   
  
"Because if you don't I'll kill you." I said flatly.  
  
"Really?" She sounded amused. Arrogant and amused. She was a Goa'uld   
  
all right. "You forget, Tau'ri, that I am a God. And all I have to do is signal, and   
  
you will die. You live now only at my mercy."  
  
"Ditto, lady." Sam groaned, her eyes flashing open for a second before   
  
closing again. I made an abortive move in her direction, then stopped.  
  
"She's a lovely specimen, yes?" Kinich Ahau said, looking over almost   
  
fondly. "She held out for a long time, you know. She was a very strong individual."  
  
"She still is." I grated.  
  
"Oh, I beg to differ." The bitch gloated. "I broke her many hours ago, while   
  
you and that idiot Thor were still in captivity, well before you oh so conveniently   
  
broke out. You think that you managed to escape on your own? My Jaffa are much   
  
harder to overcome than that, General. I let you escape."  
  
"That's what they all say."  
  
"But this time it is true. I had no more need of Odin, he was become a bother   
  
to me. Thor played right into my hands, when he accused his Father of treason."  
  
"He was wrong?" I stepped slightly to my left, closer to Sam.  
  
"Oh no. Odin was a traitor. He didn't, however, realise that I was a Goa'uld.   
  
He thought that I was still his meek little wife. He had become a boor, to be frank."  
  
"So this was all to destroy our alliance?" Motive. Get motive. I chanted to   
  
myself. She laughed at my question.  
  
"You really think my motive was that noble? I am a God! Your flimsy little   
  
alliance with the Asgard is no threat to me. I was simply bored. You offered a   
  
chance for me to entertain myself. And after I have finished with this one, I think you   
  
will make a fine eunuch in my court. Of course, I'll have to ensure your loyalty."   
  
She turned to Sam and lifted her hand. Without even thinking about what I was   
  
doing, I knelt down on one knee, brought the luger-47 up into a two handed grip,   
  
sighted down the barrel and pulled the trigger as her hand started to glow, the Goa'uld   
  
ribbon device barely activated before the bullets hit her. She jerked back several   
  
times before collapsing, her thin grey limbs buckling under her. Before the last glow   
  
of life had faded from her eyes, I was at Carters side, holding on to her waist as I tried   
  
to loosen the ties. She moaned in pain and her eyes opened.  
  
"Jack?" She whispered softly, her voice hoarse. My heart constricted at the   
  
sound of my name on her lips. Something I thought I'd never hear again. Don't lose it   
  
now, Jack....   
  
"Hang on a second, Sam. You're almost free." I swapped supporting arms   
  
and undid the other binding, and she was abruptly free, hanging on to my shoulders as   
  
she whimpered, holding back a sob. I dropped straight to my knees, holding her off   
  
the cold floor by placing her on my lap. Her head was buried in my throat, arms   
  
around my neck. I shuddered at the feel of her arms around me. The glass was   
  
shattering, the cracks spreading outwards like a spider web. She was still, breath   
  
panting in and out gently. I held her for a long time, hands roughly going over naked   
  
skin to check for any serious injuries as impersonally as I could I apologised   
  
continuously as I rubbed her back. Hold it together Jack, just for a little longer....  
  
"Sam." I finally whispered, pulling my head back a little. "Sam, we've got to   
  
get out of here. We've only got a few minutes before the Asgard blow this place to   
  
kingdom come." She nodded silently, and drew back. It was then that she noticed   
  
that she was naked. She blushed and made an abortive attempt to cover herself. The   
  
glass shattered into a million pieces.  
  
"It's okay. Here." I choked, raging silently at what had been done to her. I   
  
took off my shirt and gave it to her, and to give her some semblance of privacy,   
  
turned my head away to look at the door. It was all I could offer, but it had to be   
  
enough. I finally felt her weight leave my thighs as she stood away from me. I stood   
  
up myself, silencing the groan as my knees clicked into place. Her eyes were wide in   
  
her face, a face so pale that her lips looked blue. I studied her closely for a moment,   
  
my eyes drowning in her presence.  
  
"I.... I thought you were dead." I choked out, one hand reaching out to touch   
  
her again, just to reassure myself that Thor was wrong. That one of my family was   
  
alive. That Sam was alive. She looked up, blue eyes shocky in her bruised and   
  
battered face, and I saw her mind register what I said, saw her mouth twist into a   
  
moue of sympathy - sympathy for me. This woman, who'd been through so much,   
  
had enough heart, enough courage to feel sympathy for my pain. As much as I needed   
  
that connection, that touch of my hand to her cheek, I knew there was no time for   
  
comfort - for either of us. Our time had run out. I took a deep breath and pulled the   
  
remaining shards of my glass wall around me once more   
  
"We need to find Teal'c." She nodded, still silent. I grabbed her hand in my   
  
free one and ran out of the room, back the way I'd come. As I approached the fork, I   
  
yelled for Teal'c.  
  
"Here, O'Neill. I have found Daniel Jackson." Teal'c yelled as he ran back   
  
with Daniel running a few paces behind him. Both of them were alive. Another   
  
splinter of the glass wall fell away, another piece of my heart knitted itself together. I   
  
took a second to check him over, and finding him okay, if a little beat up, I felt relief   
  
wash through me. Thor had been wrong. How or why, I still didn't know, but it was   
  
something that I could think about later. I grabbed him in a quick one-armed hug, all   
  
I could afford right now, and knew without looking that I was grinning like a loon.   
  
Teal'c and Daniel both spotted Carter at the same time. Daniel let out a glad cry and   
  
reached for her. She cried out and cowered behind me, clinging with a death-like grip   
  
to my right hand. I shook my head at Daniel, and he frowned but obeyed my silent   
  
command.  
  
"We need the transporter room."  
  
"This way." Daniel replied, and took off at a quick jog. The rest of us   
  
followed. We entered the room quickly but silently, and Teal'c did a quick search   
  
before nodding the all clear. I tried to make Carter stand in the centre of the rings, but   
  
she wouldn't let go of my hand. So rather than distress her any further, I silently   
  
asked Daniel to press the crystal sequence. The rings hummed into life as Daniel   
  
trotted back into the circle, and within seconds we were back on the planet. Almost   
  
before the rings had disappeared, we'd been beamed away from that location by an   
  
Asgard transportation device. We ended up inside an Asgard ship, well out into   
  
space. Thor appeared before us, sitting on his throne, as per usual.  
  
"Greetings." He said softly. He then looked to the display. We all silently   
  
turned to watch as well. The image of the Goa'uld ship appeared, surrounded by   
  
Asgard ships. Within seconds, all the Asgard ships had opened fire, destroying the   
  
ship within seconds. From way back here, though, it didn't have any sense of   
  
completion. For me, it was just pictures on a screen.  
  
"Our enemy has been destroyed." Thor announced. "My father renounced his   
  
actions and confessed all to us. These actions over the last few weeks have led the   
  
High Council into an introspective phase. Before we can help others, it appears we   
  
must help ourselves."  
  
"Good. Great. Have you noticed anything strange about us, Thor?" I asked   
  
snappishly, all the stress of the past few days now coming to the fore. Thor bowed his   
  
head.  
  
"It would appear that Kinich Ahau lied to me when she killed the ones who   
  
looked like Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson."  
  
"Ya think?" I replied. I mentally shook myself, getting my priorities straight.   
  
Chastise allies later, take care of family now. "Thor, have you got any kind of   
  
clothing? And some first aid equipment?"  
  
"Of course." Thor's voice was gently and kind, full of sympathy for Carter. I   
  
gritted my teeth against the rage. There was nothing I could do now, no one I could   
  
punish. I had to put it behind me and concentrate on helping Carter. "You will find   
  
all that you need here. I am returning you to your planet with the full apologies of the   
  
High Council for your trouble. And I will remain with you until such time as you see   
  
fit to release me from my protection of your people." The screen put an image up of   
  
the belly of the ship, giving visual directions. I took note, then led my now complete   
  
team away from the bridge.  
  
-o0o-  
  
Somehow, Thor had done the impossible. There were cushions and comfortable   
  
lounges in 'our' room, along with a few tables and some food scattered over them,   
  
with drinks and utensils that looked vaguely like knives and forks. In one corner there   
  
were what looked like caftan's and trousers piled onto a table, and in another an open   
  
door that led through to what looked like beds.  
  
"Hotel D'Thor." Daniel murmured. We were all concerned for Carter, who   
  
had yet to speak since saying my name almost half an hour ago, but we hid it under   
  
bravado. She would crumble if we showed any pity for her. I found some kind of   
  
medikit and sat Carter down on one of the lounges, keeping contact with her all the   
  
while. I got out some pads of cloth and started to pat her skin gently, starting at her   
  
face and neck and working my way down. She stared at me, and I felt the weight of   
  
her gaze the whole time I knelt in front of her. Once I'd cleaned her hands, legs and   
  
neck I realised that I'd have to clean her torso. I hesitated, then looked at Daniel and   
  
Teal'c, who had been helping me silently, taking dirty cloth from me and replacing it   
  
with clean.  
  
"Guys." Daniel looked confused, but when Teal'c grabbed his arm and   
  
dragged him out of the room, he followed without protest. I set down the latest blood   
  
soaked cloth and stared at Sam for a second.  
  
"Sam." I said quietly, getting her attention. She blinked as she stared at me   
  
through bruised eyes. "I'm sorry, but I need..." I waved my arms at her torso. She   
  
nodded and unbuttoned the jacket, turning her head away as I cleaned at the cuts and   
  
seeping wounds on her chest and stomach. I stood quickly and went around to clean   
  
her back, then came back and knelt before her, feeling ill. The pattern of injuries was   
  
horrific. Meant to inflict absolute pain without rendering the recipient unconscious.  
  
"Sam. I hate to do this, but I have to ask." I left the actual question unasked,   
  
unable to force the words through my constricted throat. She shook her head, and a   
  
tear slipped from her eye to run down her check, causing her to wince as it hit her   
  
split lip. She licked her lips in response to the pain.  
  
"No." She whispered, the first word in far too long. "They were going to, but   
  
.... They wanted to draw.. it out." She went to continue, but I placed a finger gently   
  
on her lips, silencing her. Right now, I didn't need to hear anything else, and she   
  
certainly didn't need to say any more. I buttoned her top for her, realising that she   
  
was unaware she was sitting in front of me essentially naked. I then reached for the   
  
trousers that Daniel had brought over and put her feet in each leg gently, standing her   
  
up to pull the trousers up her legs. It was rather like dressing a very large child. She   
  
was unresponsive, still staring ahead. But now the tears were coming, faster, larger.   
  
Hotter. I clenched my jaw, hating to see her in this much pain, but knowing better   
  
than anyone why a lack of emotion on my part was necessary. She needed to break   
  
before I could comfort her. As I finished with the draw-string tie she finally broke, a   
  
sob bursting from her lips and shaking her body.  
  
It was something I had been hoping and waiting for. If she didn't break, if she   
  
didn't crack, she would end up like I had. A cold, hard bastard with nothing to live   
  
for. This was good. Bad, but good. I sat back on the cushions and pulled her into my   
  
arms, giving silent comfort and taking it as well. She was here. She was alive. And   
  
now she was going to be okay. I tightened my arms around her and gently rested my   
  
head against her hair. "It'll be okay, Sam." I murmured softly. She sobbed into my   
  
chest, fist curling in abortive rage, gathering my Singlet in her fingers and releasing it   
  
over and over again.  
  
"Jack?" I heard Daniel whisper, and looked up to see Daniel peering from the   
  
bedroom area. He asked as silently as I had if she had been raped. I shook my head   
  
no, and he closed his eyes in relief. I gestured for them to come out and both of them   
  
did, sitting on either side of us. Offering silent support. Silent comfort. I'm sure she   
  
appreciated it.   
  
-o0o-  
  
Sam slept for several hours, her head on a cushion on my lap, hand tight on my knee.   
  
I was her comfort blanket at the moment, and to be honest I didn't care if General   
  
Hammond was to beam himself in - this was something that was far more important   
  
than anything he or the Joint Chiefs would have to say on the matter. This was   
  
Carter's sanity. Her wellbeing. This was Sam. And I was not walking away from her.   
  
Not for anyone. Daniel was sitting next to me drinking coffee - he'd almost wept   
  
when he saw the brew on the table, coffee addict that he is. Every now and then he'd   
  
reach over and stroke Sam's hair gently back from her face, his eyes grave.  
  
"She'll be alright, Danny." I said for the umpteenth time. He nodded, bit his   
  
lip and stroked her hair back anyway. Teal'c had taken to providing both Daniel and I   
  
with more food than we could hope to eat, and more liquid than we could hope to   
  
drink. But it was his way of coping. That and to clean. He'd gone mother-hen on us   
  
for a change.   
  
Finally, all the food and water Teal'c had pressed on me made itself known. I   
  
touched Carter's shoulder lightly, bringing her instantly awake.  
  
"Sam?" I said softly. She opened her eyes in stark terror, then realised where   
  
she was and relaxed slightly, her fingers curling over my knee tightly. "Sam, I gotta   
  
move for a second. Can you sit up?" She did so slowly, rubbing her eyes with one   
  
hand as she did so. I stood up and she followed, standing close beside me.  
  
"Ahh." I looked at her, bit my lip and flushed. "Sam, I gotta go by myself."   
  
She shook her head in denial. I huffed. "Sam, really. I know we're a close team, but   
  
trust me, I need my private time right now." She cast hurt eyes at me. I don't think   
  
she understood what I was saying. "Sam, I gotta pee." I finally said bluntly. I saw   
  
her eyes flash with knowledge, then the flush of embarrassment pass across her face.   
  
I smiled gently to show her that it was no big deal, stroked her shoulder gently as I   
  
said "I'll be back soon. Stay with Danny." And then left her.   
  
It was a legitimate reason - I really did have to pee - but it was also a good test of   
  
how well she was dealing with this. If she freaked when I left the room, then we were   
  
in serious trouble. If she didn't, then things would be much easier. The one thing I   
  
didn't think about was how I knew about the psychological ramifications of torture.   
  
It's not something I like to dwell on. I stayed away for as long as I thought was   
  
necessary, then walked in to see Sam sitting still, back upright and fingers clasped   
  
together tightly. But she hadn't freaked. She hadn't panicked.  
  
"You hungry?" I asked her, and she nodded. It was then that I realised that   
  
she had yet to say a word while Teal'c and Daniel were in the room. Maybe things   
  
wouldn't be so peachy after all.  
  
-o0o-  
  
Three days later, Thor came into our rooms to tell us we'd just entered our galaxy and   
  
that we were due to arrive at Earth in approximately three hours.  
  
"Thanks. Ahh, is there any possibility of talking to Hammond now?" I asked   
  
and Thor nodded. He gestured for me to stand up, and without warning I was in the   
  
control room of the SGC, facing a very stunned Hammond.  
  
"Hi, sir." I said, waving. Hammond opened his mouth and gaped at me, face   
  
going white. "Sir?"  
  
"Jack!" He yelled, then grabbed hold of a chair and sat down with a thump.   
  
"Good God, son, you're alive!"  
  
"Yeah. Carter mentioned something about a time dilation because of the   
  
distances we were travelling. How long have we been incommunicado?"  
  
"Almost a year, Jack. What happened? Where are you? Is SG-1 okay?"  
  
"We're fine, sir. Well, relatively speaking, anyway. We're approaching Earth   
  
now, about three hours away. As to what happened, I'll give you a full debrief when   
  
we get home, but basically we kicked some major Goa'uld ass and pretty much   
  
butchered the current Asgard/Earth treaty. Some good things, some bad. But Thor's   
  
on assignment with us indefinitely now, and we've got some new friends." I hesitated   
  
briefly, looking around the control room. "Sir, can we have a few words in private?"   
  
Hammond nodded immediately and cleared the room.   
  
"What is it, Son?"  
  
"It's Carter, sir. She was tortured badly a few days ago. She's doing okay,   
  
but she's still very sore and not comfortable with crowds. Is there anyway we can   
  
arrive back and keep it under wraps? Danny, T and I are more than willing to go and   
  
face the music, so to speak, once we've got Sam comfortable. But with everything   
  
that's happened, the last thing she needs is undue stress."  
  
"Is she okay, Jack?" Hammond asked.  
  
"No. But she will be." I replied truthfully.  
  
"In that case, consider it done. Bring her home, son. And yourself as well." I   
  
nodded in relpy, and then he faded from view. 


End file.
